UEFA has confirmed the full schedule and format for the 2026/27 Europa League season. The competition will conclude with the final at Stadion Frankfurt in Germany on 26 May 2027.
This marks the third season of the new 36-team league phase format. The league stage begins on 16 and 17 September 2026 and runs across eight matchdays, concluding in late January 2027. The knockout phase play-offs are scheduled for February, with the round of 16 in March, quarter-finals in April and semi-finals in late April and early May.
Venue and trophy
Stadion Frankfurt, which has hosted matches at the 2006 World Cup and UEFA EURO 2024, will stage the final. The Europa League trophy itself is the heaviest in UEFA's collection, weighing 15 kilograms.
Qualification and rewards
Twelve teams qualified directly for the league phase, with another twelve coming through qualifying rounds that concluded in August. The 36-team line-up was completed by 11 sides transferring from the UEFA Champions League qualifying stages. The competition winner gains a place in the league phase of the following season's Champions League and will contest the 2027 UEFA Super Cup.
Clubs from nations including Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia and Cyprus have been confirmed as participants in the qualifying stages. The full fixture calendar is now set, with all dates subject to potential change by the governing body.
Read the full report at UEFA.com
