Season 2025/2026
Source: https://www.uefa.com/uefaconferenceleague/
As of January 2026, the 2025/26 UEFA Conference League has concluded its league phase and the bracket for the knockout rounds is set.
Here is the complete schedule for the 2026 knockout stages, including the specific matchups for the upcoming play-off round.
2026 Knockout Phase Schedule
Note: Kick-off times are typically split between 18:45 CET and 21:00 CET (Central European Time) for all rounds except the final.
| Round | First Leg | Second Leg |
| Knockout Play-offs | February 19, 2026 | February 26, 2026 |
| Round of 16 | March 12, 2026 | March 19, 2026 |
| Quarter-finals | April 9, 2026 | April 16, 2026 |
| Semi-finals | April 30, 2026 | May 7, 2026 |
| Final | May 27, 2026 | 21:00 CET (Leipzig) |
Play-off Round Matchups (Feb 19 & 26)
These matches determine who joins the top 8 seeded teams in the Round of 16. The “Home” team listed first plays the first leg at home.
| Matchup | First Leg (Feb 19) | Second Leg (Feb 26) |
| KuPS (FIN) vs. Lech Poznań (POL) | 18:45 / 21:00 | 18:45 / 21:00 |
| Noah (ARM) vs. AZ Alkmaar (NED) | 18:45 / 21:00 | 18:45 / 21:00 |
| Zrinjski Mostar (BIH) vs. Crystal Palace (ENG) | 18:45 / 21:00 | 18:45 / 21:00 |
| Jagiellonia Białystok (POL) vs. Fiorentina (ITA) | 18:45 / 21:00 | 18:45 / 21:00 |
| Shkëndija (MKD) vs. Samsunspor (TUR) | 18:45 / 21:00 | 18:45 / 21:00 |
| Drita (KOS) vs. Celje (SVN) | 18:45 / 21:00 | 18:45 / 21:00 |
| Sigma Olomouc (CZE) vs. Lausanne-Sport (SUI) | 18:45 / 21:00 | 18:45 / 21:00 |
| Omonia (CYP) vs. Rijeka (CRO) | 18:45 / 21:00 | 18:45 / 21:00 |
Key Information
- Seeded Teams (Awaiting in Round of 16): Strasbourg, Raków Częstochowa, AEK Athens, Sparta Prague, Rayo Vallecano, Shakhtar Donetsk, Mainz 05, and AEK Larnaca.
- Draw Date: The draw for the Round of 16 and the rest of the bracket takes place on February 27, 2026.
- Final Venue: Leipzig Stadium (Red Bull Arena), Germany.
The UEFA Conference League is the third-tier competition in European club football, ranking below the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League.
Key points in its history are:
- Establishment: It was officially launched by UEFA for the 2021/2022 season.
- Purpose: The competition was created primarily to make European club football more inclusive, ensuring more clubs, particularly from lower-ranked UEFA member associations, had the chance to participate in a continental tournament’s group stage. Its introduction also coincided with the reduction of the UEFA Europa League group stage from 48 to 32 teams.
- Original Name: The competition was initially named the UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL).
- Inaugural Season: The first season was 2021/2022, with AS Roma becoming the inaugural winners.
- Name Change: In 2023, UEFA announced that the competition would be renamed the UEFA Conference League starting from the 2024/2025 season. This was done to help it develop further as a stand-alone competition.
- Format Changes: From the 2024/2025 season, the traditional group stage was replaced with an expanded league phase featuring 36 teams, mirroring changes made to the other two UEFA club competitions.
The competition provides another pathway for clubs to achieve continental success, with the winner earning a spot in the following season’s UEFA Europa League (unless they qualify for the Champions League through their domestic league).
