The latest draws for the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League have been completed, and British clubs now know which opponents they will face in the upcoming group stages. Sunderland have been paired with Italian giants AC Milan for an away fixture at the iconic San Siro, while Bournemouth, making their debut in European competition, will host the same Serie A powerhouse in a home match. Brighton & Hove Albion and Heart of Midlothian also learned the clubs they will encounter in the Conference League, adding further intrigue to the continent-wide contests. The draws took place on Friday and set the schedule for both tournaments.
In the Europa League, each of the participating clubs will contest eight group‑stage matches – four at home and four away – spread across the period from September 2026 to January 2027. The Conference League follows a similar format, but with six matches per side – three at home and three on foreign soil – within the same timeframe. These fixtures will determine which teams advance to the knockout phases later in the season. Sunderland’s qualification marks a historic moment for the club, as it is their first appearance in a European competition in more than half a century.
Their opening away game will see them travel to Milan’s legendary San Siro stadium to take on AC Milan, a club with a rich trophy cabinet and a reputation for technical excellence. Bournemouth, on the other hand, will welcome AC Milan at Dean Court, offering their supporters a rare chance to watch a top‑flight Italian side on home turf. This will be Bournemouth’s inaugural venture into continental football, and the club will be eager to make a strong impression. Celtic have been drawn into a group that includes French side Marseille, Portuguese champions Benfica, Hungarian side Ferencváros, Belgian club Union SG, Spanish outfit Celta Vigo, Cypriot side Omonia, Turkish giants Besiktas and Portuguese minnows Torreense.
Their schedule alternates between home and away fixtures, beginning with a home clash against Marseille and concluding with an away match at Torreense. Sunderland’s group features Dutch side AZ Alkmaar, AC Milan, Croatian side GNK Dinamo Zagreb, Belgian club Anderlecht, Polish teams Jagiellonia Białystok and Lech Poznań, Bulgarian side Levski Sofia and again Torreense. Bournemouth’s group is equally diverse: they will host AC Milan, travel to Real Sociedad in Spain, host Viktoria Plzeň from the Czech Republic, travel to Sparta Prague, host Sturm Graz from Austria, travel to Celta Vigo, host Hapoel Be’er Sheva from Israel and finish with an away game at Lillestrøm in Norway.
Crystal Palace, the defending Conference League champions, have been drawn against Real Sociedad at home, then a trip to Lyon, a home game versus Sparta Prague, an away fixture against Salzburg, a home match with Lech Poznań, an away clash with Jagiellonia, a home tie with Hoffenheim and an away encounter with Besiktas. The match calendar is clearly laid out.
For the Europa League, Matchday 1 is slated for 16‑17 September, followed by subsequent matchdays on 15 October, 22 October, 5 November, 26 November, 10 December, 21 January 2027 and 28 January 2027. The knockout phase will commence with play‑offs on 18 and 25 February 2027, the round of 16 on 11 and 18 March, quarter‑finals on 8 and 15 April, semi‑finals on 29 April and 6 May, and the final on 26 May 2027 at the Frankfurt Stadium in Germany. Brighton & Hove Albion are also back in Europe for only the second time in their history, having secured a place in the Conference League after defeating Tromsø in the qualifying rounds. Their group stage schedule pits them against a strong French side, Monaco, at home, as well as away trips to Greek club Panathinaikos and Spanish side Getafe.
Additional fixtures include home games versus Universitatea Craiova and Kauno Žalgiris, and away matches against Jablonec. Hearts, owned by Brighton’s chief executive Tony Bloom, share a similar path, hosting Monaco and traveling to Turkish side Trabzonspor, which features Manchester United’s loan goalkeeper André Onana.
Their remaining opponents are Pafos, Borac, Nordsjælland and Thun, with a balanced mix of home and away fixtures. The Conference League schedule for Brighton and Hearts begins on 15 October and runs through 17 December, with play‑offs scheduled for 18 and 25 February 2027, followed by the same knockout timeline as the Europa League, culminating in a final on 2 June 2027 at the newly built Besiktas Park in Istanbul, Turkey. Fans of the British clubs can follow the action via the Sky Sports app, which offers live streaming for those with a subscription.
For viewers without a Sky package, instant access options without a long‑term contract are also available, ensuring that supporters can keep up with every twist and turn of their teams' European journeys. These draws set the stage for an exciting autumn of football, with historic clubs like Sunderland and debutants such as Bournemouth embarking on their maiden European adventures, while seasoned campaigners like Celtic, Crystal Palace and Brighton aim to progress deep into the tournaments.
The blend of familiar powerhouses and emerging sides promises a captivating mix of tactical battles, travel challenges and the chance for British clubs to make their mark on the continental stage.