All you need to know about the 26/27 Europa League draws, dates & more

[p]To help you follow every step on the road to the final in May, we explain all you need to know about the upcoming 2026/27 Europa League season below, from the key dates to the draws, teams, and format of the competition.[/p][h2]How did the qualifying phase work?[/h2][p]17 teams qualified automatically for the league phase. The remaining 19 spots were decided in a variety of ways. 12 teams joined the league phase via the qualifying phase, which ended with the play-offs in late August, played over two legs, while seven clubs dropped down into the Europa League after losing the Champions League play-offs.[/p][h2]Dates for the Europa League qualifying rounds[/h2][p][b]First qualifying round: [/b]July 9th and 16th, 2026[/p][p][b]Second qualifying round: [/b]July 23rd and 30th, 2026[/p][p][b]Third qualifying round: [/b]August 6th and 13th, 2026[/p][p][b]Play-offs: [/b]August 20th and 27th, 2026[/p][h2]Which teams qualified?[/h2][p][b]The following 36 teams qualified for the Europa League proper:[/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/anderlecht/vslqAKNo/"]Anderlecht[/a] (BEL); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ararat-armenia/xlT9cL89/"]Ararat-Armenia[/a] (ARM); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/az-alkmaar/2RxOow1i/"]AZ[/a] (NED); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/benfica/zBkyuyRI/"]Benfica[/a] (POR); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/besiktas/IDmErJCR/"]Besiktas[/a] (Turkey); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bournemouth/OtpNdwrc/"]Bournemouth[/a] (ENG); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/celje/SpbURe4O/"]Celje[/a] (SLO); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/celta-vigo/8pvUZFhf/"]Celta Vigo[/a] (ESP); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/celtic/QFKRRD8M/"]Celtic[/a] (SCO); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/crystal-palace/AovF1Mia/"]Crystal Palace[/a] (ENG); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/din-zagreb/8G5ufQTg/"]Dinamo Zagreb[/a] (CRO); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ferencvaros/pKS9M7R7/"]Ferencvaros[/a] (HUN); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/h-beer-sheva/EXAD1YZP/"]Hapoel Beer Sheva[/a] (ISR); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hoffenheim/hQAtP9Sl/"]Hoffenheim[/a] (GER); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/jagiellonia/lIDaZJTc/"]Jagiellonia[/a] (POL); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/juventus/C06aJvIB/"]Juventus[/a] (ITA); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bayer-leverkusen/4jcj2zMd/"]Bayer Leverkusen[/a] (GER); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lech-poznan/OpNH7Ouf/"]Lech Poznan[/a] (POL); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/levski-sofia/E5OOzgs4/"]Levski Sofia[/a] (BUL); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lillestrom/xYWBZlwN/"]Lillestrom[/a] (NOR); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lyon/2akflumR/"]Lyon[/a] (FRA); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/marseille/SblU3Hee/"]Marseille[/a] (FRA); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ac-milan/8Sa8HInO/"]AC Milan[/a] (ITA); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nijmegen/nRluRF0T/"]Nijmegen[/a] (NED); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ofi-crete/bTObIPJB/"]OFI Crete[/a] (GRE); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/olympiacos-piraeus/hnzvnHPS/"]Olympiacos[/a] (GRE); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/omonia/GSLWiAPe/"]Omonia[/a] (CYP); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/plzen/2LA0e86b/"]Plzen[/a] (CZE); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/real-sociedad/jNvak2f3/"]Real Sociedad[/a] (ESP); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/rennes/d2nnj1IE/"]Rennes[/a] (FRA); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/salzburg/Olvehxrl/"]Salzburg[/a] (AUT); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sparta-prague/6qA358jH/"]Sparta Prague[/a] (CZE); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sturm-graz/zsktjfsD/"]Sturm Graz[/a] (AUT); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sunderland/WSzc94ws/"]Sunderland[/a] (ENG); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/torreense/8jQErKhN/"]Torreense[/a] (POR); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/royale-union-sg/407h8Ird/"]Union Saint-Gilloise[/a] (BEL)[/p][embed guid="edfb5ce3-284b-4561-8a83-16e3d97c4f08" url="https://x.com/Flashscorecom/status/2093313971545632865" social-type="twitter" /][h2]When are the various Europa League draws?[/h2][p][b]First qualifying round: [/b]June 16th, 2026[/p][p][b]Second qualifying round: [/b]June 17th, 2026[/p][p][b]Third qualifying round: [/b]July 20th, 2026[/p][p][b]Play-offs: [/b]August 3rd, 2026[/p][p][b]League phase: [/b]August 28th, 2026[/p][p][b]Knockout round play-offs: [/b]January 29th, 2027[/p][p][b]Round of 16 and final bracket: [/b]February 26th, 2027[/p][h2]How did the league phase draw work?[/h2][p]The draw for the main phase of the Europa League took place from 13:00 CET on Friday, August 28th, in Monaco. The ceremony was a combined event for the Europa and Conference League draws and was streamed on UEFA.com.[/p][p]For the draw, the 36 teams that qualified for the tournament were placed into four pots, with one being the highest-ranked and four being the lowest. The pot placements were based on UEFA's club coefficient ranking from the five-season period ending at the conclusion of 2025/26.[/p][p]The draw determined each side's eight fixtures for the league phase, with every team drawing two teams from each of the four pots. However, they couldn't face a team from the same country as themselves.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/news/europa-league-2026-2027-draw-schedule/KhNkAHC6/"]See the results of the league phase draw here![/a][/h2][embed guid="34978d79-6ff3-4f58-ad01-3b83257028c8" url="https://x.com/EuropaLeague/status/2093316718261154242" social-type="twitter" /][h2]Which teams were in each pot?[/h2][p][b]Pot 1[/b]: Bayer Leverkusen; Benfica ;Juventus; AC Milan; Lyon; AZ Alkmaar; Olympiakos; Real Sociedad; Marseille[/p][p][b]Pot 2: [/b]Ferencvaros; Viktoria Plzen; Union Saint-Gilloise; Dinamo Zagreb; Red Bull Salzburg; Celtic; Sparta Prague; Rennes; Anderlecht[/p][p][b]Pot 3[/b]: Sturm Graz; Lech Poznan; Crystal Palace; Bournemouth; Sunderland; Celje; Jagiellonia Bialystok; Omonia; Celta Vigo[/p][p][b]Pot 4[/b]: TSG Hoffenheim; Besiktas; Torreense; Hapoel Be'er Sheva; NEC Nijmegen; OFI Crete; Lillestrom; Aarat-Armenia; Levski Sofia[/p][h2]The format of the Europa League[/h2][p]The teams who finish in the top eight of the league phase after the eight Matchdays qualify for the Europa League's Round of 16. Those between ninth and 24th will enter the play-off knockout round. The 12 teams ranked between 25th and 36th will exit the competition when the league phase is concluded.[/p][h2]When are the league phase matchdays?[/h2][p][b]Matchday 1: [/b]September 16th-17th, 2026[/p][p][b]Matchday 2: [/b]October 15th, 2026[/p][p][b]Matchday 3: [/b]October 22nd, 2026[/p][p][b]Matchday 4: [/b]November 5th, 2026[/p][p][b]Matchday 5: [/b]November 26th, 2026[/p][p][b]Matchday 6:[/b] December 10th, 2026[/p][p][b]Matchday 7: [/b]January 21st, 2027[/p][p][b]Matchday 8: [/b]January 28th, 2027[/p][image alt="Interior view of Frankfurt's Waldstadion, the venue for the 2026/27 Europa League final" id="6e522065-a00a-4d85-9ee4-29c23f15dd26" credit-line="KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP" guid="4449ba23-066a-4a6b-a013-fd48269141c8" original-width="6000" original-height="4000" /][h2]When are the knockout rounds played?[/h2][p][b]Knockout play-offs: [/b]February 18th and 25th, 2027[/p][p][b]Round of 16: [/b]March 11th and 18th, 2027[/p][p][b]Quarter-finals: [/b]April 8th and 15th, 2027[/p][p][b]Semi-finals: [/b]April 29th and May 6th, 2027[/p][p][b]Final: [/b]May 26th, 2027[/p][h2]When and where is the Europa League final?[/h2][p]The final will be staged on Wednesday, May 26th, 2027, at Frankfurt's Waldstadion in Germany, currently known as Deutsche Bank Park for sponsorship purposes; it is a retractable-roof stadium and the home ground of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/eintracht-frankfurt/8vndvXTk/"]Eintracht Frankfurt[/a].[/p]