UEFA Europa Conference League
EuropeConference League 2026/27: Ajax, Atalanta and Brighton begin the league phase
The UEFA Conference League is Europe's third club competition. Its league phase has 36 clubs, each playing six matches against six different opponents. The top eight go straight into the round of 16, the sides from 9th to 24th play a two-legged knockout play-off, and the bottom twelve are eliminated. The knockout rounds are played over two legs, up to a one-off final.
Reaching the league phase took a long road: 258 qualifying and play-off matches produced 754 goals. FC Sion's Winsley Boteli Mokango scored seven of them, though Sion were knocked out by Ajax in the play-off round, and Lugano's Kevin Behrens scored six.
The league phase starts on Thursday, 15 October. The field includes Ajax, Atalanta, Brighton, Monaco, SC Freiburg, Getafe, Braga, FC Copenhagen, Crvena Zvezda and Trabzonspor. On the opening night Hajduk Split host Ajax, Atalanta face Pafos, Brighton meet Kauno Žalgiris, and FC Copenhagen take on Braga.
Thursday, 15 October
FC Lugano
FK Crvena Zvezda
HNK Hajduk Split
Ajax
Panathinaikos
Borac Banja Luka
Gent
Aarhus
Universitatea Craiova
Getafe
CSKA Sofia
Monaco
KuPS
Trabzonspor
Mjallby AIF
Inter Club d'Escaldes
Egnatia Rrogozhinë
FC Midtjylland
Riga
Kairat Almaty
Brighton
Kauno Žalgiris
SC Freiburg
FK Jablonec
Heart Of Midlothian
FC Nordsjaelland
Brann
Lincoln Red Imps FC
FC Copenhagen
SC Braga
Twente
FC Thun
Atalanta
Pafos
St. Truiden
FC Iberia 1999