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2026/27 UEFA Champions League Qualifying: Schedule, Results, and Format Explained

Overview of the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League Qualifying

The qualifying phase for the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League began on July 7 and wrapped up on August 26. A total of 29 teams earned direct entry into the league stage, while seven additional slots were decided through qualifying rounds.

Structure of the Qualifying Rounds

Qualification consisted of a first, second, and third round followed by play-offs. Starting from the second round, the competition was split into two distinct paths: the Champions Path and the League Path. The Champions Path featured domestic league winners, whereas the League Path involved teams that qualified via leagues with multiple spots in the tournament. Entry stages depended on the club's association coefficient rankings.

This system guarantees representation from at least 37 national associations across the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League group stages.

Teams eliminated in Champions League or Europa League qualifiers drop into either the Europa League or Conference League at different phases, ensuring another chance to compete.

Key Dates for Qualifying and Play-Offs

  • First Qualifying Round: 7-8 & 14-15 July 2026 (Draw on 16 June)
  • Second Qualifying Round: 21-22 & 28-29 July 2026 (Draw on 17 June)
  • Third Qualifying Round: 4-5 & 11 August 2026 (Draw on 20 July)
  • Play-Offs: 18-19 & 25-26 August 2026 (Draw on 3 August)

Play-Off Round Details

  • Champions Path: 10 teams (6 winners from third round plus 4 new entrants)
  • League Path: 4 teams (third round winners)

First Leg Results - 18 August

  • Levski Sofia 0-0 AEK Athens (Champions Path)
  • GNK Dinamo 2-2 Viking (Champions Path)
  • Fenerbahçe 1-1 Lyon (League Path)

First Leg Results - 19 August

  • Hapoel Beer-Sheva 2-1 Sabah (Champions Path)
  • Celtic 3-0 LASK (Champions Path)
  • Slovan Bratislava 1-1 Celje (Champions Path)
  • N.E.C. 1-3 Bodø/Glimt (League Path)

Second Leg Results - 25 August

  • Sabah 5-2 after extra time Hapoel Beer-Sheva (Aggregate 6-4)
  • LASK 5-1 after extra time Celtic (Aggregate 5-4)
  • Bodø/Glimt 3-0 N.E.C. (Aggregate 6-1)

Second Leg Results - 26 August

  • AEK Athens 4-0 Levski Sofia (Aggregate 4-0)
  • Viking 3-1 GNK Dinamo (Aggregate 5-3)
  • Celje 1-2 after extra time Slovan Bratislava (Aggregate 2-3)
  • Lyon 1-2 Fenerbahçe (Aggregate 2-3)

Advancement: Winners moved to the league phase, while all losing teams entered the UEFA Europa League group stage.

Third Qualifying Round Summary

  • Champions Path: 12 teams (winners from second round)
  • League Path: 8 teams (6 new entrants plus 2 winners from second round)

First Legs - 4 August

  • Mjällby 1-2 Slovan Bratislava (Champions Path)
  • Ararat-Armenia 2-1 Celje (Champions Path)
  • Levski Sofia 1-0 Kairat Almaty (Champions Path)
  • Hapoel Beer-Sheva 1-0 Crvena Zvezda (Champions Path)
  • GNK Dinamo 5-0 Kauno Žalgiris (Champions Path)
  • Olympiacos 0-0 N.E.C. (League Path)
  • Union SG 3-3 Bodø/Glimt (League Path)
  • Sparta Praha 2-1 Lyon (League Path)

First Legs - 5 August

  • Aarhus 2-1 Sabah (Champions Path)
  • Fenerbahçe 2-0 Sturm Graz (League Path)

Second Legs - 11 August

  • Kairat Almaty 0-1 Levski Sofia (Aggregate 0-2)
  • Sabah 4-0 Aarhus (Aggregate 5-2)
  • Kauno Žalgiris 1-2 GNK Dinamo (Aggregate 1-7)
  • Crvena Zvezda 0-2 Hapoel Beer-Sheva (Aggregate 0-3)
  • Slovan Bratislava 2-0 Mjällby (Aggregate 4-1)
  • Celje 2-0 Ararat-Armenia (Aggregate 3-2)
  • Bodø/Glimt 3-2 after extra time Union SG (Aggregate 6-5)
  • N.E.C. 2-1 after extra time Olympiacos (Aggregate 2-1)
  • Sturm Graz 0-1 Fenerbahçe (Aggregate 0-3)
  • Lyon 3-0 Sparta Praha (Aggregate 4-2)

Winners progressed to the play-offs. Losing teams in the Champions Path entered the Europa League play-off round; losers in the League Path went directly into the Europa League group stage.

Second Qualifying Round Details

  • Champions Path: 24 teams (10 new entries plus 14 winners from first round)
  • League Path: 4 teams entering this stage

First Legs - 21 July

  • Mjällby 3-0 Lincoln Red Imps (Champions Path)
  • Sabah 1-0 KuPS Kuopio (Champions Path)
  • Ararat-Armenia 2-0 Shamrock Rovers (Champions Path)
  • Iberia Tbilisi 0-2 Slovan Bratislava (Champions Path)
  • Aarhus 1-4 Lech Poznań (Champions Path)
  • Thun 1-1 GNK Dinamo (Champions Path)
  • Klaksvík 0-0 Kauno Žalgiris (Champions Path)
  • Larne 0-4 Crvena Zvezda (Champions Path)
  • Víkingur Reykjavík 2-1 Hapoel Beer-Sheva (Champions Path)
  • Fenerbahçe 1-0 Górnik Zabrze (League Path)
  • Sturm Graz 4-0 Hearts (League Path)

First Legs - 22 July

  • Omonia 1-0 Kairat Almaty (Champions Path)
  • Levski Sofia 1-0 Universitatea Craiova (Champions Path)
  • Egnatia 3-3 Celje (Champions Path)

Second Legs - 28 July

  • KuPS Kuopio 0-2 Sabah (Aggregate 0-3)
  • Lincoln Red Imps 0-0 Mjällby (Aggregate 0-3)
  • GNK Dinamo 3-2 after extra time Thun (Aggregate 4-3)
  • Celje 2-2 after extra time Egnatia (Aggregate 5-5; Celje won 4-1 on penalties)
  • Shamrock Rovers 2-1 Ararat-Armenia (Aggregate 2-3)
  • Hearts 0-2 Sturm Graz (Aggregate 0-6)

Second Legs - 29 July

  • Kairat Almaty 1-0 Omonia (Aggregate 1-1; Kairat won 6-5 on penalties)
  • Kauno Žalgiris 1-0 Klaksvík (Aggregate 1-0)
  • Lech Poznań 1-4 Aarhus (Aggregate 5-5; Aarhus won 4-3 on penalties)
  • Universitatea Craiova 2-2 Levski Sofia (Aggregate 2-3)
  • Hapoel Beer-Sheva 2-0 Víkingur Reykjavík (Aggregate 3-2)
  • Crvena Zvezda 5-0 Larne (Aggregate 9-0)
  • Slovan Bratislava 1-1 Iberia Tbilisi (Aggregate 3-1)
  • Górnik Zabrze 1-1 Fenerbahçe (Aggregate 1-2)

Victors advanced to the third qualifying round. Teams that lost in the Champions Path went to the Europa League third qualifying round, while those defeated in the League Path dropped to the Europa League group stage.

First Qualifying Round Summary

  • Champions Path: 28 teams started here

First Legs - 7 July

  • Sabah 2-0 The New Saints
  • Lincoln Red Imps 3-1 Inter Escaldes*
  • Ararat-Armenia 2-0 Riga
  • Kauno Žalgiris 1-1 Drita
  • Vardar 0-2 KuPS Kuopio
  • Floriana 2-0 Shamrock Rovers
  • Tre Fiori 0-1 Larne*
  • Borac 1-1 Levski Sofia
  • Klaksvík 2-1 Atert Bissen
  • Víkingur Reykjavík 1-0 Győri ETO

First Legs - 8 July

  • Kairat Almaty 2-1 Sutjeska
  • Flora Tallinn 2-3 Iberia Tbilisi
  • Vitebsk 1-4 Universitatea Craiova
  • Petrocub 1-1 Egnatia

Second Legs - 14 July

  • KuPS Kuopio 2-3 after extra time Vardar (Aggregate 4-3)
  • Iberia Tbilisi 2-2 Flora Tallinn (Aggregate 5-4)
  • Inter Escaldes 1-1 Lincoln Red Imps* (Aggregate 2-4)
  • Riga 3-2 Ararat-Armenia (Aggregate 3-4)
  • Győri ETO 2-2 Víkingur Reykjavík (Aggregate 2-3)
  • The New Saints 1-2 Sabah (Aggregate 1-4)
  • Levski Sofia 4-0 Borac (Aggregate 5-1)
  • Drita 2-3 Kauno Žalgiris (Aggregate 3-4)
  • Shamrock Rovers 5-1 Floriana (Aggregate 5-3)
  • Larne 2-1 Tre Fiori* (Aggregate 3-1)

Second Legs - 15 July

  • Universitatea Craiova 1-0 Vitebsk (Aggregate 5-1)
  • Atert Bissen 1-2 Klaksvík (Aggregate 2-4)
  • Egnatia 6-1 Petrocub (Aggregate 7-2)
  • Sutjeska 0-2 Kairat Almaty (Aggregate 1-4)

Progression: Winners moved to the second qualifying round Champions Path. Losers generally dropped into the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round, though some received byes to the third qualifying round.

Next Steps

The draw for the 36 teams in the Champions League league phase, including the 29 automatic qualifiers and seven play-off winners, is scheduled for 18:00 CET on Thursday, August 27.

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