2026/27 Europa League main stage draw: All you need to know
The UEFA Europa League main stage draw will take place in Nyon on August 28, determining the 36 teams' opponents in the new league phase format.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Author: HonorTheKing
The draw for the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League main stage will take place in Nyon, Switzerland, on August 28 at 15:00 CET. A total of 36 clubs will participate in this year's competition, featuring top teams from across Europe, including Arsenal, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich.
Under the new format introduced in 2024, the tournament features a single league phase. Each participating team will face eight different opponents, with four matches played at home and four away. The top eight teams in the final table earn direct entry to the Round of 16, while those ranked 9th through 24th enter a two-legged playoff round.
The competition is highly anticipated as clubs compete for a spot in the final, which is scheduled for May 26, 2027, in Frankfurt. Teams finishing 25th or lower in the league phase will be eliminated from all European competitions for the remainder of the season.
The first round of matches is scheduled for September 16-17, 2026, with the league phase concluding in January 2027.