sportnews full logo

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

Overview of the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League Qualifying

The qualifying rounds for the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League began on 7 July and ended on 26 August. Out of the 36 teams in the league phase, 29 qualified directly, while the remaining seven secured their spots through these qualifying matches.

Structure of the Qualifying Rounds

The qualifying process included a first, second, and third qualifying round followed by play-offs. From the second qualifying round onward, the competition split into two separate paths:

  • Champions Path: For teams who won their domestic leagues.
  • League Path: For teams that qualified via leagues offering multiple Champions League places.

Entry rounds depended on each team's association club coefficient ranking.

The qualifying rounds were designed so that at least 37 national associations have representation in the Champions League, Europa League, or Conference League group stages.

Teams losing in Champions League and Europa League qualifying rounds get a second chance by dropping into the Europa League or Conference League at various stages, with losing play-off teams moving directly to the respective league phases of those tournaments.

Schedule of Qualifying Rounds and Play-offs

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

Play-off Round Details

Teams involved:

  • Champions Path: 10 teams (four new entrants plus six winners from the third qualifying round)
  • League Path: 4 winners from the third qualifying round

First Legs (18-19 August)

  • Levski Sofia 0-0 AEK Athens (Champions Path)
  • GNK Dinamo 2-2 Viking (Champions Path)
  • Fenerbahçe 1-1 Lyon (League Path)
  • 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 Legs (25-26 August)

  • Sabah 5-2 aet Hapoel Beer-Sheva (Agg: 6-4) (Champions Path)
  • LASK 5-1 aet Celtic (Agg: 5-4) (Champions Path)
  • Bodø/Glimt 3-0 N.E.C. (Agg: 6-1) (League Path)
  • AEK Athens 4-0 Levski Sofia (Agg: 4-0) (Champions Path)
  • Viking 3-1 GNK Dinamo (Agg: 5-3) (Champions Path)
  • Celje 1-2 aet Slovan Bratislava (Agg: 2-3) (Champions Path)
  • Lyon 1-2 Fenerbahçe (Agg: 2-3) (League Path)

Outcome: Winners from these ties advanced to the Champions League league phase, while all defeated teams moved to the Europa League league phase.

Third Qualifying Round

Teams:

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

First Legs (4-5 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)
  • Aarhus 2-1 Sabah (Champions Path)
  • Fenerbahçe 2-0 Sturm Graz (League Path)

Second Legs (11 August)

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

Note: Winners progressed to the play-offs. Teams knocked out from the champions path moved to the Europa League play-off round, while league path losers went directly to the Europa League league phase.

Second Qualifying Round

Teams:

  • Champions Path: 24 teams (10 new entrants + 14 winners from the first qualifying round)
  • League Path: 4 new entrants

First Legs (21-22 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)
  • Omonia 1-0 Kairat Almaty (Champions Path)
  • Levski Sofia 1-0 Universitatea Craiova (Champions Path)
  • Egnatia 3-3 Celje (Champions Path)

Second Legs (28-29 July)

  • KuPS Kuopio 0-2 Sabah (Agg: 0-3)
  • Lincoln Red Imps 0-0 Mjällby (Agg: 0-3)
  • GNK Dinamo 3-2 aet Thun (Agg: 4-3)
  • Celje 2-2 aet Egnatia (Agg: 5-5, Celje won 4-1 on penalties)
  • Shamrock Rovers 2-1 Ararat-Armenia (Agg: 2-3)
  • Hearts 0-2 Sturm Graz (Agg: 0-6)
  • Kairat Almaty 1-0 Omonia (Agg: 1-1, Kairat Almaty won 6-5 on penalties)
  • Kauno Žalgiris 1-0 Klaksvík (Agg: 1-0)
  • Lech Poznań 1-4 Aarhus (Agg: 5-5, Aarhus won 4-3 on penalties)
  • Universitatea Craiova 2-2 Levski Sofia (Agg: 2-3)
  • Hapoel Beer-Sheva 2-0 Víkingur Reykjavík (Agg: 3-2)
  • Crvena Zvezda 5-0 Larne (Agg: 9-0)
  • Slovan Bratislava 1-1 Iberia Tbilisi (Agg: 3-1)
  • Górnik Zabrze 1-1 Fenerbahçe (Agg: 1-2)

Advancement: Winners moved to the third qualifying round. Losing sides in the champions path dropped to the Europa League third qualifying round of their path, while league path losers entered the Europa League league phase.

First Qualifying Round

Teams: 28 teams entered this stage in the champions path.

First Legs (7-8 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
  • Kairat Almaty 2-1 Sutjeska
  • Flora Tallinn 2-3 Iberia Tbilisi
  • Vitebsk 1-4 Universitatea Craiova
  • Petrocub 1-1 Egnatia

Second Legs (14-15 July)

  • KuPS Kuopio 2-3 aet Vardar (Agg: 4-3)
  • Iberia Tbilisi 2-2 Flora Tallinn (Agg: 5-4)
  • Inter Escaldes 1-1 Lincoln Red Imps* (Agg: 2-4)
  • Riga 3-2 Ararat-Armenia (Agg: 3-4)
  • Győri ETO 2-2 Víkingur Reykjavík (Agg: 2-3)
  • The New Saints 1-2 Sabah (Agg: 1-4)
  • Levski Sofia 4-0 Borac (Agg: 5-1)
  • Drita 2-3 Kauno Žalgiris (Agg: 3-4)
  • Shamrock Rovers 5-1 Floriana (Agg: 5-3)
  • Larne 2-1 Tre Fiori* (Agg: 3-1)
  • Universitatea Craiova 1-0 Vitebsk (Agg: 5-1)
  • Atert Bissen 1-2 Klaksvík (Agg: 2-4)
  • Egnatia 6-1 Petrocub (Agg: 7-2)
  • Sutjeska 0-2 Kairat Almaty (Agg: 1-4)

Progression: Winners advanced to the second qualifying round. Losing teams mostly entered the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round, except those granted a bye to the Conference League third qualifying round.

League Phase Draw

The league phase draw for the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League took place on Thursday 27 August at 18:00 CET. It featured 36 teams: 29 automatic qualifiers plus the seven play-off winners.

Related Articles