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2025–26 UEFA Conference League

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2025–26 UEFA Conference League
The Red Bull Arena in Leipzig will host the final
Tournament details
TeamsCompetition proper:
Total:
2026–27 →

The 2025–26 UEFA Conference League will be the fifth season of the UEFA Conference League, Europe's tertiary club football tournament organised by UEFA.

This will be the second UEFA Conference League played under a new format involving a 36-team league phase.[1] The new format also does not allow teams to transfer from the Europa League league or knockout phase to the Conference League knockout phase, and thus Conference League winners can no longer defend their title as the winner of the Conference League automatically qualifies for the Europa League league phase.[2]

The final will be played at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany.[3] The winners of the tournament will automatically qualify for the 2026–27 UEFA Europa League league phase, unless they qualify for the 2026–27 UEFA Champions League through their league performance. In such case, the access list will be rebalanced.

Association team allocation

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A total of 167 teams from 54 of the 55 UEFA member associations are participating in the 2025–26 UEFA Conference League. The association ranking based on the UEFA association coefficients was used to determine the number of participating teams for each association:[4]

Association ranking

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For the 2025–26 UEFA Conference League, the associations were allocated places according to their 2024 UEFA association coefficients, which took into account their performance in European competitions from 2019–20 to 2023–24.[5]

Apart from the allocation based on the association coefficients, associations could have additional teams participating in the Conference League, as noted below:

  • (UCL) – Additional teams transferred from the UEFA Champions League
  • (UEL) – Additional/vacated teams transferred from/to the UEFA Europa League
Association ranking for 2025–26 UEFA Conference League
Rank Association Coeff. Teams Notes
1  England 104.303 1
2  Italy 90.284
3  Spain 89.489
4  Germany 86.624
5  France 66.831
6  Netherlands 61.300
7  Portugal 56.316
8  Belgium 48.800
9  Turkey 38.600
10  Czech Republic 36.050
11  Scotland 36.050
12  Switzerland 32.975
13  Austria 32.600 2
14  Norway 31.625
15  Greece 31.525
16  Denmark 31.450
17  Israel 31.125
18  Ukraine 28.000
19  Serbia 27.780
Rank Association Coeff. Teams Notes
20  Croatia 25.525 2
21  Poland 25.375
22  Russia 22.965 0 [Note RUS]
23  Cyprus 22.100 2
24  Hungary 21.875
25  Sweden 21.500
26  Romania 21.375
27  Bulgaria 20.375
28  Azerbaijan 20.125
29  Slovakia 19.625
30  Slovenia 13.250
31  Moldova 13.125
32  Kosovo 11.541
33  Kazakhstan 11.500
34  Finland 11.125 3
35  Republic of Ireland 10.875
36  Armenia 10.625
37  Latvia 10.625
38  Faroe Islands 10.375
Rank Association Coeff. Teams Notes
39  Bosnia and Herzegovina 10.000 3
40  Liechtenstein 10.000 1 [Note LIE]
41  Iceland 9.583 3
42  Northern Ireland 9.208
43  Luxembourg 8.625
44  Lithuania 8.500
45  Malta 8.250
46  Georgia 7.625
47  Albania 7.375
48  Estonia 7.207
49  Belarus 6.625
50  North Macedonia 6.000
51  Andorra 5.998 2
52  Wales 5.791
53  Montenegro 5.708
54  Gibraltar 4.957
55  San Marino 1.832

Distribution

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The following is the access list for this season.

Teams entering in this round Teams advancing from previous round Teams transferred from Champions League Teams transferred from Europa League
First qualifying round
(52 teams)
  • 11 domestic cup winners from associations 45–55
  • 21 domestic league runners-up from associations 34–55 (except Liechtenstein)[Note LIE]
  • 20 domestic league third-placed teams from associations 30–50 (except Liechtenstein)[Note LIE]
Second qualifying round
(102 teams) 		Champions path
(14 teams)
  • 14 teams eliminated from Champions League first qualifying round
League path
(88 teams)
  • 11 domestic cup winners from associations 34–44
  • 17 domestic league runners-up from associations 16–33 (except Russia)[Note RUS]
  • 16 domestic league third-placed teams from associations 13–29 (except Russia)[Note RUS]
  • 9 domestic league fourth-placed teams from associations 7–15
  • 1 domestic league fifth-placed team from association 6
  • 26 winners from the first qualifying round
  • 8 teams eliminated from Europa League first qualifying round
Third qualifying round
(60 teams) 		Champions path
(8 teams)
  • 7 winners from the second qualifying round (Champions path)
  • 1 team eliminated from Champions League first qualifying round
League path
(52 teams)
  • 44 winners from the second qualifying round (League path)
  • 8 teams eliminated from Europa League second qualifying round
Play-off round
(48 teams) 		Champions path
(10 teams)
  • 4 winners from the third qualifying round (Champions path)
  • 6 teams eliminated from Europa League third qualifying round (Champions path)
League path
(38 teams)
  • 5 domestic league sixth-placed teams from associations 1–5 (EFL Cup winners for England)
  • 26 winners from the third qualifying round (League path)
  • 7 teams eliminated from Europa League third qualifying round (League path)
League phase
(36 teams)
  • 5 winners from the play-off round (Champions path)
  • 19 winners from the play-off round (League path)
  • 12 teams eliminated from Europa League play-off round
Knockout phase play-offs
(16 teams)
  • 16 teams ranked 9–24 from the league phase
Round of 16
(16 teams)
  • 8 teams ranked 1–8 from the league phase
  • 8 winners from the knockout phase play-offs

The information here reflects the ongoing suspension of Russia in European football, and so the following changes to the default access list were made:

  • The cup winners of associations 39 to 44 (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Liechtenstein, Iceland, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg and Lithuania) will enter the second qualifying round instead of the first qualifying round.

Teams

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The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round:

  • CW: Domestic cup winners
  • 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, etc.: League position of the previous season
  • LC: League cup winners
  • RW: Regular season winners
  • PW: End-of-season Conference League play-offs winners
  • CL: Transferred from the Champions League
    • Q1: Losers from the first qualifying round
  • EL: Transferred from the Europa League
    • PO: Losers from the play-off round
    • CH/MP Q3: Losers from the third qualifying round (Champions/Main Path)
    • MP Q2: Losers from the second qualifying round (Main Path)
    • MP Q1: Losers from the first qualifying round (Main Path)

The second qualifying round, third qualifying round and play-off round were divided into Champions Path (CH) and Main Path (MP).

Note: Teams in italics may still qualify for the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League or the 2025–26 UEFA Europa League.


Qualified teams for 2025–26 UEFA Conference League
Entry round Teams
League phase (EL PO) (EL PO) (EL PO) (EL PO)
(EL PO) (EL PO) (EL PO) (EL PO)
(EL PO) (EL PO) (EL PO) (EL PO)
Play-off round CH (EL CH Q3) (EL CH Q3) (EL CH Q3) (EL CH Q3)
(EL CH Q3) (EL CH Q3)
MP England Newcastle United (LC)[Note ENG] Italy (6th) Spain (6th) Germany (6th)
France (6th) (EL MP Q3) (EL MP Q3) (EL MP Q3)
(EL MP Q3) (EL MP Q3) (EL MP Q3) (EL MP Q3)
Third qualifying round CH (CL Q1)
MP (EL MP Q2) (EL MP Q2) (EL MP Q2) (EL MP Q2)
(EL MP Q2) (EL MP Q2) (EL MP Q2) (EL MP Q2)
Second qualifying round CH (CL Q1) (CL Q1) (CL Q1) (CL Q1)
(CL Q1) (CL Q1) (CL Q1) (CL Q1)
(CL Q1) (CL Q1) (CL Q1) (CL Q1)
(CL Q1) (CL Q1)
MP (EL MP Q1) (EL MP Q1) (EL MP Q1) (EL MP Q1)
(EL MP Q1) (EL MP Q1) (EL MP Q1) (EL MP Q1)
Netherlands (PW) Portugal (4th) Belgium (PW) Turkey (4th)
Czech Republic (PW) Scotland (4th) Switzerland (4th) Austria (3rd)
Austria (PW) Norway Viking (3rd) Norway Rosenborg (4th) Greece (3rd)
Greece (4th) Denmark (2nd) Denmark (PW) Israel (2nd)
Israel (3rd) Ukraine (2nd) Ukraine (3rd) Serbia (2nd)
Serbia (3rd) Croatia (2nd) Croatia (3rd) Poland (2nd)
Poland (3rd) Cyprus (2nd) Cyprus (3rd) Hungary (2nd)
Hungary (3rd) Sweden Hammarby IF (2nd/3rd)[Note SWE] Sweden AIK (3rd/4th)[Note SWE] Romania (2nd)
Romania (PW) Bulgaria (2nd) Bulgaria (PW) Azerbaijan (2nd)
Azerbaijan (3rd) Slovakia (2nd) Slovakia (3rd) Slovenia (2nd)
Moldova (2nd) Kosovo (2nd) Kazakhstan Astana (2nd) Finland Ilves (2nd)
Republic of Ireland Drogheda United (CW) Armenia (CW) Latvia Riga (2nd) Faroe Islands HB (CW)
Bosnia and Herzegovina (CW) Liechtenstein (CW) Iceland KA (CW) Northern Ireland (CW)
Luxembourg (CW) Lithuania Banga (CW)
First qualifying round Slovenia (3rd) Moldova (3rd) Kosovo (3rd) Kazakhstan Ordabasy (4th)
Finland HJK (3rd) Finland SJK (PW) Republic of Ireland Shamrock Rovers (2nd) Republic of Ireland St Patrick's Athletic (3rd)
Armenia (2nd) Armenia (3rd) Latvia Auda (3rd) Latvia Daugavpils (5th)
Faroe Islands KÍ (2nd) Faroe Islands NSÍ (4th) Bosnia and Herzegovina (2nd) Bosnia and Herzegovina (3rd)
Iceland Víkingur Reykjavík (2nd) Iceland Valur (3rd) Northern Ireland (2nd) Northern Ireland (PW)
Luxembourg (2nd) Luxembourg (3rd) Lithuania Hegelmann (2nd) Lithuania Kauno (3rd)
Malta (CW) Malta (2nd) Malta (3rd) Georgia (country) Spaeri (CW)
Georgia (country) Torpedo Kutaisi (2nd) Georgia (country) Dila Gori (3rd) Albania (CW) Albania (2nd)
Albania (3rd) Estonia (CW) Estonia Nõmme Kalju (2nd) Estonia Paide Linnameeskond (3rd)
Belarus (CW) Belarus Neman Grodno (2nd) Belarus Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino (3rd) North Macedonia (CW)
North Macedonia (2nd) North Macedonia (3rd) Andorra (CW) Andorra (2nd)
Wales (CW)[Note WAL] Wales (PW) Montenegro (CW) Montenegro (2nd)
Gibraltar FCB Magpies (CW) Gibraltar (2nd) San Marino (CW) San Marino (PW)

Notes

  1. ^
    England (ENG): Newcastle United have qualified by winning the 2024–25 EFL Cup, but may still qualify for the Champions League or the Europa League by virtue of league position.
  2. ^
    Liechtenstein (LIE): The seven teams affiliated with the Liechtenstein Football Association (LFV) all played in the Swiss football league system. The only competition organised by the LFV was the Liechtenstein Football Cup – the winners of which qualified for the UEFA Conference League for the 2025–26 season.
  3. ^
    Russia (RUS): On 28 February 2022, Russian football clubs and national teams were suspended from FIFA and UEFA competitions due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[6] The tables reflect Russia's ongoing suspension from UEFA competitions.[7]
  4. ^
    Sweden (SWE): If Malmö FF win the 2024–25 Svenska Cupen, as they have already qualified for the Champions League by winning the 2024 Allsvenskan, the spot for the Europa League from Sweden would go to Hammarby IF, the second-place team of the 2024 Allsvenskan. Then, the fourth-place team of 2024 Allsvenskan, Djurgårdens IF would qualify to Conference League.
  5. ^
    Wales (WAL): Second-place team of the 2024–25 Cymru Premier will get the Conference League spot, if The New Saints win the 2024–25 Welsh Cup.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "UEFA approves final format and access list for its club competitions as of the 2024/25 season". UEFA. 10 May 2022.[dead link‍]
  2. ^ "UEFA Europa Conference League to be renamed UEFA Conference League next season". UEFA. Union of European Football Associations. 28 June 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Budapest to host UEFA Champions League Final 2026". Union of European Football Associations. 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  4. ^ "Regulations of the UEFA Conference League, 2024/25 Season". Nyon: UEFA. 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Association coefficients 2023/24". UEFA. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  6. ^ "Ukraine crisis: Fifa and Uefa suspend all Russian clubs and national teams". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  7. ^ "UEFA decisions for upcoming competitions relating to the ongoing suspension of Russian national teams and clubs" (Press release). Nyon: UEFA. 2 May 2022. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
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