To help you follow every step on the road to the final in June, we explain all you need to know about the upcoming 2026/27 Conference League season in what follows, from the key dates to the draws, teams, and much more.
Qualifying phase: How does it work?
Unlike the Champions League and Europa League, there are no direct qualifiers for the Conference League. All 36 participants come from either the Conference League play-offs or drop down after losing in the final stage of the Europa League play-offs.
The Conference League play-offs are staged over four rounds, with 48 teams reaching the final play-offs. The 24 winners of those play-offs progress to the league phase, along with the 12 losers from the Europa League's final play-off round.
Dates for the Conference League qualifying rounds
First qualifying round: July 9th and 16th, 2026
Second qualifying round: July 23rd and 30th, 2026
Third qualifying round: August 6th and 13th, 2026
Play-offs: August 20th and 27th, 2026
Follow the Conference League qualifiers with Flashscore!
Which teams have already qualified?
No teams have yet qualified for the Conference League as all participants come either via the play-offs or down from the Europa League play-offs.
When are the league phase matchdays?
Matchday 1: October 15th, 2026
Matchday 2: October 22nd, 2026
Matchday 3: November 5th, 2026
Matchday 4: November 26th, 2026
Matchday 5: December 10th, 2026
Matchday 6: December 17th, 2026
When are the knockout rounds played?
Knockout play-offs: February 18th and 25th, 2027
Round of 16: March 11th and 18th, 2027
Quarter-finals: April 8th and 15th, 2027
Semi-finals: April 29th and May 6th, 2027
Final: June 2nd, 2027
When are the various Conference League draws?
First qualifying round: June 16th, 2026
Second qualifying round: June 17th, 2026
Third qualifying round: July 20th, 2026
Play-offs: August 3rd, 2026
League phase: August 28th, 2026
Knockout round play-offs: January 15th, 2027
Round of 16 and final bracket: February 26th, 2027
When and where is the Conference League final?
The 2026/27 Conference League final will be staged on Wednesday, June 2nd, 2027, at Besiktas Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey. The stadium hosted the 2019 UEFA Super Cup as well as the 2026 Europa League final.