UEFA Conference League 2025/26: Key dates, match schedule & final
Building on a successful debut, Europe's newest club competition kicks off on July 10 and continues until the final in Leipzig on May 27, 2026.
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Here's a look at all the key dates for the upcoming season of Europe's third-tier club competition, along with details on how to watch the matches live.
How to watch the 2025/26 Conference League season?
All games in Europe's newest club competition during the 2025/26 season will be available to watch online via Conference League live streams.
When do Conference League qualifying fixtures start?
A total of 155 teams will compete in the 2025/26 Conference League qualifying cycle – significantly more than those contesting in the UEFA Champions League (53) or UEFA Europa League (53).
Like in the other two competitions, the structure includes the qualifying phase and the play-off round, with 21 teams in the Champions Path and 134 in the Main Path.
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Twenty-four clubs to win their play-off ties will advance to the league phase, where they'll join 12 teams eliminated from the Europa League play-offs.
Qualification began on July 10 and will run until August 25.
When is the Conference League group stage draw?
The 2025/26 UEFA Conference League group stage draw will take place on August 29, the day after the conclusion of the play-offs.
When does the Conference League opening phase start?
While the Champions League and Europa League newly formatted league phase gets underway in September, Europe's tertiary club tournament kicks off the following month.
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The 2025/26 Conference League opening stage begins at the start of October, with the first matches set for October 2.
Last season's winners, Chelsea, qualified automatically for the Europa League but will have a seat at Europe's top table due to their domestic league finish.
Beaten finalists Real Betis locked down a Europa League berth by finishing sixth in the 2024/25 La Liga season, leaving Fiorentina as the only former finalists in the competition.
When does the knockout stage of the Conference League start?
Like last season, the newly formatted knockout phase gets underway with a play-off round in late February.
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The play-off round runs from February 19-26, after which the 32 remaining teams face off in the round of 16 on March 12 and 19.
Teams compete in the quarter-final first legs on April 9, then play the return fixtures on April 16.
The semi-finals commence on April 30, with second-leg clashes scheduled for May 7.
When and where is the Conference League final in 2026?
The 2025/26 Conference League showpiece, scheduled to take place at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig on May 27, will be the first final held at the home of Bundesliga giants RB Leipzig.
Despite never hosting a major European final, this 47,000-capacity stadium staged five matches during the 2006 FIFA World Cup and four games at the 2024 European Championship.
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Winning the trophy guarantees a spot in next season's Europa League, if the champions haven't already qualified through their domestic league.
2025/26 Conference League Schedule – In Summary
Conference League Qualifying Fixtures
First qualifying round: July 10 & 17, 2025
Second qualifying round: July 24 & 31, 2025
Third qualifying round: August 7 & 14, 2025
Play-offs: August 21 & 28, 2025
Conference League Opening Phase
Matchday 1: October 2, 2025
Matchday 2: October 23, 2025
Matchday 3: November 6, 2025
Matchday 4: November 27, 2025
Matchday 5: December 11, 2025
Matchday 6: December 18, 2026
Knockout Stage
Knockout phase play-offs: February 19 & 26, 2026
Round of 16: March 12 & 19, 2026
Quarter-finals: April 9 & 16, 2026
Semi-finals: April 30 & May 7, 2026
Final: May 27, 2026 (Leipzig)
Conference League Draws
First qualifying round: June 17, 2025
Second qualifying round: June 18, 2025
Third qualifying round: July 21, 2025
Play-offs: August 4, 2025
League phase: August 29, 2025
Knockout phase play-offs: TBC
Round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final and final: February 27, 2026
Conference League Final Venue: Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany.
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