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History of the Europa League Timeline

(1971 - Present)

The UEFA Europa League is Europe's second-tier club football competition, organized by UEFA. It originated in 1970-71 as the UEFA Cup, replacing the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, and was open to clubs that qualified through their domestic league positions. In 2004-05 a group stage was introduced, and in 2009-10 it was rebranded as the UEFA Europa League. The competition has been won by famous clubs including Juventus, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, and Sevilla, which holds the record for most titles. Less

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Draws

Three draws shape the qualification bracket

Jun 16, 2026 - Aug 3, 2026

The structure of the 2026–27 UEFA Europa League qualification was determined by three draws: the first qualifying round draw on 16 June, the second qualifying round draw on 17 June, the third qualifying round draw on 20 July, and the play-off round draw on 3 August 2026.

Draw for the first qualifying round held

Jun 16, 2026

The draw for the first qualifying round of the 2026–27 UEFA Europa League was held on 16 June 2026, setting up the opening ties of the season's qualification path.

Draw for the second qualifying round held

Jun 17, 2026

The draw for the second qualifying round of the 2026–27 UEFA Europa League was held on 17 June 2026, just one day after the draw for the first qualifying round.

Draw for the third qualifying round held

Jul 20, 2026

The draw for the third qualifying round of the 2026–27 UEFA Europa League was held on 20 July 2026, pairing the winners of the second qualifying round with the next wave of entrants.

Draw for the play-off round held

Aug 3, 2026

The draw for the play-off round of the 2026–27 UEFA Europa League was held on 3 August 2026, determining the final set of two-legged ties before the league phase.

Season Overview

Qualification window spans June through August

Jun 16, 2026 - Aug 27, 2026

The entire qualifying campaign for the 2026–27 UEFA Europa League runs from the first qualifying round draw on 16 June 2026 through the conclusion of the play-off round on 27 August 2026.

2026–27 UEFA Europa League season begins

Jun 16, 2026

The 2026–27 UEFA Europa League is the 56th season of Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA, continuing a competition that dates back to its origins as the UEFA Cup in 1971.

18th season under the Europa League name

Jun 16, 2026

The 2026–27 season marks the 18th season since the competition was renamed from the UEFA Cup to the UEFA Europa League, a rebranding that took place ahead of the 2009–10 season.

Participation and Access

Conference League title holders earn Europa League entry

Jun 16, 2026

The title holders of the 2025–26 UEFA Conference League receive an entry into the 2026–27 Europa League, provided they do not qualify for the Champions League or Europa League via their league position.

76 teams from at least 40 associations expected

Jun 16, 2026

A total of 76 teams from at least 40 of the UEFA member associations are expected to participate in the 2026–27 UEFA Europa League, making it one of the most broadly represented editions of the tournament.

Coefficient window covers five seasons of performance

Jun 16, 2026

The 2025 UEFA association coefficients used for allocating Europa League places reflect results across five seasons of European competition, from the 2020–21 campaign through the 2024–25 campaign.

Association allocation based on 2025 coefficients

Jun 16, 2026

For the 2026–27 UEFA Europa League, the associations are allocated places according to their 2025 UEFA association coefficients, which take into account their performance in European competitions from 2020–21 to 2024–25.

Champions League first qualifying round excluded from transfer

Jul 7, 2026 - Jul 15, 2026

Unlike teams knocked out in later rounds, clubs eliminated in the first qualifying round of the 2026–27 UEFA Champions League are not transferred to the Europa League.

Champions League qualifying transfers feed Europa League

Jul 7, 2026 - Aug 26, 2026

Teams eliminated from the 2026–27 UEFA Champions League qualifying phase and play-off round, except those eliminated from the first qualifying round, are transferred to the Europa League.

Qualifying Rounds

First qualifying round, first legs played

Jul 9, 2026

The first legs of the first qualifying round of the 2026–27 UEFA Europa League were played on 9 July 2026, kicking off the competitive action of the season.

First qualifying round spans July 9 to July 16

Jul 9, 2026 - Jul 16, 2026

The first qualifying round of the 2026–27 UEFA Europa League was contested over two legs, with first legs on 9 July and second legs on 16 July 2026.

First qualifying round, second legs played

Jul 16, 2026

The second legs of the first qualifying round were played on 16 July 2026, one week after the opening fixtures, deciding which teams advanced to the second qualifying round.

Second qualifying round, first legs played

Jul 23, 2026

The first legs of the second qualifying round of the 2026–27 UEFA Europa League were played on 23 July 2026, featuring teams advancing from the previous round along with new entrants.

Second qualifying round spans July 23 to July 30

Jul 23, 2026 - Jul 30, 2026

The second qualifying round of the 2026–27 UEFA Europa League was played across two weeks, with first legs on 23 July and second legs on 30 July 2026.

Second qualifying round, second legs played

Jul 30, 2026

The second legs of the second qualifying round were played on 30 July 2026, concluding the second stage of the qualification process and determining the participants of the third qualifying round.

Third qualifying round, first legs played on 4 August

Aug 4, 2026

The first legs of the third qualifying round began on 4 August 2026, marking the start of the third stage of the Europa League's qualification pathway.

Third qualifying round spans August 4 to August 14

Aug 4, 2026 - Aug 14, 2026

The third qualifying round of the 2026–27 UEFA Europa League stretched from 4 to 6 August for the first legs and 11 to 14 August for the second legs, reflecting a larger number of participating teams.

Third qualifying round, first legs continue on 5 August

Aug 5, 2026

Further first legs of the third qualifying round of the 2026–27 UEFA Europa League were played on 5 August 2026, spreading the round's fixtures over multiple evenings.

Third qualifying round, first legs conclude on 6 August

Aug 6, 2026

The final batch of third qualifying round first legs was played on 6 August 2026, completing the opening matches of the round before the return fixtures the following week.

Third qualifying round, second legs begin on 11 August

Aug 11, 2026

The second legs of the third qualifying round got underway on 11 August 2026, with teams fighting for a place in the final play-off round of qualification.

Third qualifying round, second legs continue on 13 August

Aug 13, 2026

Additional second-leg fixtures of the third qualifying round were contested on 13 August 2026, further narrowing the field of qualifiers for the league phase.

Third qualifying round concludes on 14 August

Aug 14, 2026

The last second legs of the third qualifying round were played on 14 August 2026, bringing the third stage of qualification to a close and setting up the play-off round draw.

Play-off round, first legs played

Aug 20, 2026

The first legs of the play-off round of the 2026–27 UEFA Europa League were played on 20 August 2026, featuring the final qualification ties of the summer.

Play-off round spans August 20 to August 27

Aug 20, 2026 - Aug 27, 2026

The play-off round of the 2026–27 UEFA Europa League consists of two-legged ties with first legs on 20 August and second legs on 27 August 2026, serving as the gateway to the league phase.

Play-off round, second legs scheduled for 27 August

Aug 27, 2026

The second legs of the play-off round will be played on 27 August 2026, completing the qualification process and confirming the full line-up for the league phase.

Key Facts

  1. The competition began as the UEFA Cup in 1971, replacing the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and introducing a knockout format based on domestic league qualification.
  2. Sevilla is the most successful club in the competition's history, having won the trophy seven times, including three consecutive titles from 2014 to 2016.
  3. In 2009-10 the UEFA Cup was rebranded as the UEFA Europa League, featuring a new group stage format and an official anthem.
  4. The winner of the Europa League earns automatic qualification to the following season's UEFA Champions League group stage.
  5. Spanish clubs have dominated the competition, winning more titles than any other nation, with teams like Atlético Madrid, Villarreal, and Sevilla among the champions.

Source

This History of the Europa League timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

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