Champions League Play-off · Qualified Teams
Champions Path
- Pafos FC (Cyprus)
- Qarabağ FK (Azerbaijan)
- Kairat Almaty (Kazakhstan)
- Copenhagen (Denmark)
- Bodø/Glimt (Norway)
League Path
- Club Brugge (Belgium)
- Benfica (Portugal)
Table of Contents
Tournament Overview
The 2025/26 UEFA Champions League began with qualifying on July 8, 2025, and will conclude with the final on May 30, 2026, at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary.
Key Dates: Competition Stages
| Stage | Dates |
|---|---|
| First Qualifying Round | July 8–9 & 15–16, 2025 |
| Second Qualifying Round | July 22–23 & 29–30, 2025 |
| Third Qualifying Round | Aug 5–6 & 12, 2025 |
| Play-offs (Qualifying) | Aug 19–20 & 26–27, 2025 |
| League Phase | Sep 16, 2025 – Jan 28, 2026 |
| Knockout Play-offs | Feb 17–25, 2026 |
| Knockout Rounds (R16 → SF) | Mar – May 2026 |
| Final | May 30, 2026 |
Format & Qualification
As in 2024/25, the League Phase format replaces the traditional group stage.
Champions Path (domestic league winners) and League Path (non-champions from stronger leagues).
29 clubs qualify directly, and 7 come through qualifying to form the 36-team League Phase.
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First Qualifying Round: Advancing Teams (by 2nd leg date)
| Advancing Team | Aggregate | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| Kairat Almaty (Kazakhstan) | 3–1 | Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia) |
| Lincoln Red Imps (Gibraltar) | 4–2 | Víkingur (Faroe Islands) |
| Hamrun Spartans (Malta) | 2–2 (pens) | Žalgiris (Lithuania) |
| KuPS Kuopio (Finland) | 1–0 | Milsami (Moldova) |
| Malmö FF (Sweden) | 6–2 | Iberia (Georgia) |
| RFS (Latvia) | 2–0 | Levadia Tallinn (Estonia) |
| Shkëndija (North Macedonia) | 2–1 (AET) | The New Saints (Wales) |
| Drita (Kosovo) | 4–2 | Differdange (Luxembourg) |
| FCSB (Romania) | 4–3 | Inter Escaldes (Andorra) |
| Breiðablik (Iceland) | 5–1 | Egnatia (Albania) |
| Zrinjski Mostar (Bosnia & Herzegovina) | 4–1 | Virtus (San Marino) |
| Noah (Armenia) | 3–2 | Budućnost (Montenegro) |
| Shelbourne (Ireland) | 2–1 | Linfield (Northern Ireland) |
| Ludogorets (Bulgaria) | 3–2 (AET) | Dinamo Minsk (Belarus) |
Second Qualifying Round: Advancing Teams (by 2nd leg date)
Champions Path
| Advancing Team | Aggregate | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| Kairat Almaty (Kazakhstan) | 3–2 | KuPS (Finland) |
| Crvena Zvezda (Serbia) | 6–1 | Lincoln Red Imps (Gibraltar) |
| Ferencváros (Hungary) | 6–3 | Noah (Armenia) |
| Malmö FF (Sweden) | 5–1 | RFS (Latvia) |
| Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine) | 6–0 | Hamrun Spartans (Malta) |
| Copenhagen (Denmark) | 3–0 | Drita (Kosovo) |
| Viktoria Plzeň (Czechia) | 3–1 | Servette (Switzerland) |
| FCSB (Romania) | 3–2 | Shkëndija (North Macedonia) |
| Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia) | 6–2 | Zrinjski Mostar (Bosnia & Herzegovina) |
| Lech Poznań (Poland) | 8–1 | Breiðablik (Iceland) |
| Ludogorets (Bulgaria) | 3–1 | Rijeka (Croatia) |
| Salzburg (Austria) | 5–2 | Brann (Norway) |
| Qarabağ (Azerbaijan) | 4–0 | Shelbourne (Ireland) |
League Path
| Advancing Team | Aggregate | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| Pafos FC (Cyprus) | 2–1 | Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel) |
| Rangers (Scotland) | 3–1 | Panathinaikos (Greece) |
Third Qualifying Round: Advancing Teams (by 2nd leg date)
Champions Path
| Advancing Team | Aggregate | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| Kairat Almaty (Kazakhstan) | 1–1 (4–3 pens) | Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia) |
| Qarabağ (Azerbaijan) | 6–1 | Shkëndija (North Macedonia) |
| Copenhagen (Denmark) | 5–0 | Malmö FF (Sweden) |
| Pafos (Cyprus) | 3–0 | Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine) |
| Ferencváros (Hungary) | 3–0 | Ludogorets (Bulgaria) |
| Crvena Zvezda (Serbia) | 4–2 | Lech Poznań (Poland) |
League Path
| Advancing Team | Aggregate | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| Rangers (Scotland) | 4–2 | Viktoria Plzeň (Czechia) |
| Club Brugge (Belgium) | 4–2 | Salzburg (Austria) |
| Benfica (Portugal) | 4–0 | Nice (France) |
| Fenerbahçe (Turkey) | 6–4 | Feyenoord (Netherlands) |
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Play-off Round
1st leg: Aug 19–20, 2025 | 2nd leg: Aug 26–28, 2025
Winners advance to the Champions League group stage.
| Matchup | 1st Leg | 2nd Leg | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crvena zvezda (Serbia) vs Pafos FC (Cyprus) | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–3 |
| Ferencváros (Hungary) vs Qarabağ FK (Azerbaijan) | 1–3 | 3–2 | 4–5 |
| Rangers (Scotland) vs Club Brugge (Belgium) | 1–3 | 0–6 | 1–9 |
| Celtic (Scotland) vs Kairat Almaty (Kazakhstan) | 0–0 | 0–0 | Kairat win 3–2 pens |
| Basel (Switzerland) vs Copenhagen (Denmark) | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 |
| Bodø/Glimt (Norway) vs Sturm Graz (Austria) | 5–0 | 1–2 | 6–2 |
| Fenerbahçe (Turkey) vs Benfica (Portugal) | 0–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 |
| Matchup | Aggregate |
|---|---|
| Crvena zvezda (Serbia) vs Pafos FC (Cyprus) | 2–3 |
| Qarabağ FK (Azerbaijan) vs Ferencváros (Hungary) | 5–4 |
| Rangers (Scotland) vs Club Brugge (Belgium) | 1–9 |
| Celtic (Scotland) vs Kairat Almaty (Kazakhstan) | 3–2 pens |
| Basel (Switzerland) vs Copenhagen (Denmark) | 1–3 |
| Bodø/Glimt (Norway) vs Sturm Graz (Austria) | 6–2 |
| Fenerbahçe (Turkey) vs Benfica (Portugal) | 0–1 |
