The upcoming draws for the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Europa Conference League will determine the group‑stage opponents for several British clubs, including Bournemouth, Sunderland and Crystal Palace in the Europa League, and potentially Brighton, Hearts, Hibernian, Motherwell, Rangers and Northern Irish side Larne in the Conference League. The Europa League group‑stage draw is scheduled for 12:00 PM UK time on Friday, followed immediately by the Conference League draw. ### How the Europa League Group Stage Is Formed A total of twelve clubs earn direct entry into the Europa League group phase. In addition, the holder of the UEFA Conference League title – Crystal Palace – occupies a special slot.
Another twelve places are filled by clubs that win their way through the Europa League play‑off round. The final nine spots are taken by teams that drop down from the UEFA Champions League: eleven clubs eliminated in the Champions League third‑qualifying round and play‑off round are transferred into the Europa League, completing a 36‑team lineup.
The clubs confirmed for the 2026/27 Europa League group stage include: - AC Milan, AZ Alkmaar, Bayer Leverkusen, Bournemouth, Celta Vigo, Crystal Palace, Hoffenheim, Juventus, Marseille, Olympiacos, Real Sociedad, Rennes, Sparta Prague, Sturm Graz, Sunderland, Torreense and Union Saint‑Gilloise. Teams that could fall into the Europa League if they lose in the Champions League play‑off round are AEK Athens, Bodø/Glimt, Celje, Celtic, Dinamo Zagreb, Fenerbahçe, Hapoel Beer‑Sheva, LASK, Levski Sofia, Lyon, NEC Breda, Sabah, Slovan Bratislava and Viking Stavanger. If clubs succeed in the Europa League play‑off round, they will join the group stage.
Potential qualifiers from that path include Aarhus, Anderlecht, Ararat‑Armenia, Benfica, Beşiktaş, Crvena Zvezda, CSKA Sofia, Egnatia, Ferencváros, Iberia Tbilisi, Jagiellonia, Kairat Almaty, Kauno Žalgiris, Lech Poznań, Lillestrøm, Mjällby, OFI Crete, Omonia, Salzburg, Sint‑Truidense, Thun, Trabzonspor, Union Craiova and Viktoria Plzeň. ### Structure of the Europa League Group Phase Each of the 36 clubs is guaranteed at least eight matches – four at home and four away – against eight distinct opponents.
The competition format ensures that clubs cannot be drawn against a team from the same national association, and a maximum of two clubs from the same country may appear in a single group. After the eight matchdays, the top eight teams in each group advance directly to the knockout stage. Teams finishing ninth through twenty‑fourth enter a two‑legged play‑off to compete for the remaining spots in the round of 16. Clubs placed twenty‑fifth to thirty‑sixth are eliminated from European competition for the season.
The group‑stage calendar is as follows: - Matchday 1: 16 / 17 September - Matchday 2: 15 October - Matchday 3: 22 October - Matchday 4: 5 November - Matchday 5: 26 November - Matchday 6: 10 December - Matchday 7: 21 January 2027 - Matchday 8: 28 January 2027 The knockout phase then proceeds with play‑offs on 18 and 25 February 2027, round of 16 on 11 and 18 March 2027, quarter‑finals on 8 and 15 April 2027, semi‑finals on 29 April and 6 May 2027, culminating in the final on 26 May 2027 at the Stadion Frankfurt in Germany. ### How the Conference League Group Stage Is Assembled The UEFA Europa Conference League features a similar but slightly reduced format. Teams that win their Conference League play‑off round gain entry to the group stage. Potential entrants include Ajax, Atalanta, Austria Vienna, Borac, Braga, Brann, Brighton, FC Copenhagen, Dinamo City, Drita, Freiburg, Gent, Getafe, Górnik Zabrze, Hapoel Tel‑Aviv, Hajduk Split, Hearts, Hibernian, Hradec Králové, Inter Escaldes, Inter Turku, Jablonec, Klaksvík, KuPS, Lincoln Red Imps, Larne, Lugano, Maccabi Tel‑Aviv, Midtjylland, Monaco, Motherwell, Nordsjælland, Pafos, Panathinaikos, PAOK, Partizan, Qarabağ, Raków, Rangers, Riga, Rijeka, Shamrock Rovers, Sion, SK Rapid, St Gallen, Tromsø, Twente and Víkingur R.
Clubs that lose in the Europa League play‑off round also drop into the Conference League, adding another layer of complexity. Those clubs include Aarhus, Anderlecht, Ararat‑Armenia, Benfica, Beşiktaş, Crvena Zvezda, CSKA Sofia, Egnatia, Ferencváros, Iberia Tbilisi, Jagiellonia, Kairat Almaty, Kauno Žalgiris, Lech Poznań, Lillestrøm, Mjällby, OFI Crete, Omonia, Salzburg, Sint‑Truidense, Thun, Trabzonspor, Union Craiova and Viktoria Plzeň.
In the Conference League each side plays six group matches – three at home and three away – against six different opponents. The same nationality restrictions apply: clubs cannot be drawn against a team from their own country, and no more than two clubs from a single nation may share a group. The group‑stage schedule mirrors that of the Europa League but with slightly different dates: - Matchday 1: 15 October - Matchday 2: 22 October - Matchday 3: 5 November - Matchday 4: 26 November - Matchday 5: 10 December - Matchday 6: 17 December Following the group phase, the top eight teams in each group advance automatically, while those placed ninth to twenty‑fourth contest a two‑legged play‑off for the remaining round‑of‑16 spots. Teams finishing twenty‑fifth to thirty‑sixth are eliminated.
The knockout calendar for the Conference League aligns with the Europa League, with play‑offs on 18 and 25 February 2027, round of 16 on 11 and 18 March 2027, quarter‑finals on 8 and 15 April 2027, semi‑finals on 29 April and 6 May 2027, and the final on 2 June 2027 at Beşiktaş Park in Istanbul, Turkey. ### Viewing Options and Additional Information Fans with a Sky Sports subscription can watch the draws live via the Sky Sports app. Those without Sky can obtain instant, contract‑free access through various streaming platforms. Highlights from the Premier League and other major competitions are also available for free online.
### Summary In summary, the Europa League and Conference League draws determine the composition of two parallel European club competitions, each offering a distinct pathway to the knockout stages. The Europa League guarantees eight matches per club, while the Conference League provides six. Both tournaments enforce rules that prevent clubs from facing domestic rivals in the group stage and limit the number of clubs from the same country per group.
The draws are set for Friday at midday UK time, with the Europa League draw first, followed by the Conference League draw. The season will progress through a series of matchdays from September 2026 to January 2027, before moving into the knockout phase that culminates in finals in Frankfurt and Istanbul respectively.