The upcoming draws for the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Europa Conference League will determine the group-stage opponents for a host of British clubs, including Celtic, Bournemouth, Sunderland and Crystal Palace. The Europa League group-stage draw is scheduled for 12:00 pm UK time on Friday, while the Conference League draw will commence immediately afterward, setting the fixtures for teams such as Brighton, Hearts, Hibernian, Motherwell and Northern Irish side Larne.
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 guaranteed slot.
Another twelve places are filled by clubs that triumph in the Europa League play‑off round, while the remaining spots are occupied by eleven teams that drop down after losing in the UEFA Champions League third‑qualifying round or its play‑offs. This creates a 36‑team lineup for the Europa League group stage.
The clubs that have already secured their places in the 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. Those that arrived via the Champions League play‑off defeats are Celtic, Hapoel Beer‑Sheva and NEC Breda. For fans without a Sky subscription, the matches can be streamed via the Sky Sports app, and a free‑trial option is available for those who do not have an existing contract. In addition, Premier League highlights remain accessible at no cost, and the full fixture list for the domestic competition is also provided.
If a club loses in the Champions League play‑off round, it may still find itself in the Europa League. Potential entrants under this scenario include AEK Athens or Levski Sofia, Dinamo Zagreb or Viking, Slovan Bratislava or Celje, and Fenerbahçe or Lyon.
Conversely, clubs that win their Europa League play‑off ties will also join the group stage; this list features 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. All thirty‑six Europa League participants must progress through a qualifying stage; none receive a direct berth without playing qualifiers. The Conference League follows a similar structure, with clubs earning their spots via play‑offs. Potential Conference League participants after winning their play‑offs 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‑offs may drop into the Conference League, with many of the same names appearing on both lists, such as 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. Each Europa League club is guaranteed a minimum of eight group‑stage matches – four at home and four away – against eight distinct opponents. In contrast, Conference League teams play six matches – three at home and three away – against six different sides. In both competitions, the top eight teams in each group advance directly to the knockout phase.
Teams finishing ninth to twenty‑fourth enter a two‑legged play‑off to vie for a place in the round of 16, while those placed twenty‑fifth to thirty‑sixth are eliminated from European competition for the season. During the group stage, 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.
The Europa League matchdays are set as follows: Matchday 1 on 16–17 September, Matchday 2 on 15 October, Matchday 3 on 22 October, Matchday 4 on 5 November, Matchday 5 on 26 November, Matchday 6 on 10 December, Matchday 7 on 21 January 2027 and Matchday 8 on 28 January 2027. The Conference League follows a slightly different schedule, beginning with Matchday 1 on 15 October, then 22 October, 5 November, 26 November, 10 December and concluding with Matchday 6 on 17 December. The climax of the 2026/27 Europa League will be the final, scheduled for 26 May 2027 at the Stadion Frankfurt in Germany. The Conference League final is slated for 2 June 2027 at Beşiktaş Park in Istanbul, Turkey.
The knockout‑round play‑offs will be contested on 18 and 25 February 2027, followed by the round of 16 on 11 and 18 March 2027. Quarter‑finals are set for 8 and 15 April 2027, with semi‑finals on 29 April and 6 May 2027, leading to the respective finals.
Fans are also invited to participate in the "Super 6" competition, offering a chance to win a £1 million prize, with free entry available for all interested participants.