# 2025–26 UEFA Champions League qualifying
The 2025–26 [UEFA Champions League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-champions-league) qualifying phase was the series of knockout rounds, played from 8 July to 27 August 2025, that decided the final seven of the 36 places in the league phase of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League; the other 29 teams entered directly.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/029b-1e3069454cdf-6efa559be902-1000--champions-league-qualifying-fixtures-dates-results-how-it-/) It was the second season run under the 36-team single league phase format introduced in 2024/25.[2](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0297-1d507af6baee-1bdad04be9b9-1000--2025-26-champions-league-who-is-qualifying-for-the-leagu/?rss=0297-1d507af6baee-1bdad04be9b9-10002025+26+champions+league+who+is+qualifying+for+the+leagu)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dates | First qualifying round on 8/9 July 2025; play-off second legs on 26/27 August 2025[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/029b-1e3069454cdf-6efa559be902-1000--champions-league-qualifying-fixtures-dates-results-how-it-/) |
| Places decided | 7 of 36 league phase places; 29 teams qualified directly[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/029b-1e3069454cdf-6efa559be902-1000--champions-league-qualifying-fixtures-dates-results-how-it-/) |
| Paths | Champions path (domestic league winners) and league path (teams from leagues with more than one place), split from the second qualifying round onward[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/029b-1e3069454cdf-6efa559be902-1000--champions-league-qualifying-fixtures-dates-results-how-it-/) |
| Play-off winners | Kairat Almaty, Pafos, Qarabağ, Copenhagen (champions path); Bodø/Glimt, Benfica, Club Brugge (league path)[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/029b-1e3069454cdf-6efa559be902-1000--champions-league-qualifying-fixtures-dates-results-how-it-/) |
| Notable exit | Celtic, seeded for the play-off round, lost to Kairat Almaty 3–2 on penalties after a 0–0 aggregate tie[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/029b-1e3069454cdf-6efa559be902-1000--champions-league-qualifying-fixtures-dates-results-how-it-/) • [3](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/celtic-champions-league-qualifying-kairat-almaty-b2814777.html) |
| League phase draw | 28 August 2025 at the Grimaldi Forum, Monaco, with the 29 direct qualifiers and 7 play-off winners[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/029b-1e3069454cdf-6efa559be902-1000--champions-league-qualifying-fixtures-dates-results-how-it-/) |
## Format and access
Qualifying consisted of a first, second, and third qualifying round followed by the play-offs. From the second qualifying round onward, each round was split into two paths. The champions path contained teams that qualified as winners of their domestic leagues; the league path contained teams that qualified through domestic leagues offering more than one place in the competition. The round at which a team entered was based on its association's club coefficient (UEFA ranking of a team's past European results) rankings.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/029b-1e3069454cdf-6efa559be902-1000--champions-league-qualifying-fixtures-dates-results-how-it-/)
Ties were two-legged knockouts under the competition's regulations, with the team scoring the greater aggregate of goals over the two matches advancing.[4](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/029a-1de9978a210d-f3289942328f-1000--uefa-champions-league-third-qualifying-round-draw/) Draws were seeded by club coefficient, and teams from certain associations could not be drawn against each other, including Armenia with [Azerbaijan](https://www.edgepedia.org/azerbaijan), Kosovo with Serbia or [Bosnia and Herzegovina](https://www.edgepedia.org/bosnia-and-herzegovina), and Ukraine with Belarus.[4](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/029a-1de9978a210d-f3289942328f-1000--uefa-champions-league-third-qualifying-round-draw/)
The direct entrants included six English clubs, a number raised by Premier League clubs' coefficient performance and by Tottenham Hotspur's entry as Europa League titleholder despite finishing 17th in the Premier League.[5](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/every-team-already-qualified-for-uefa-champions-league-2025-26-including-competition-debutants) Two further places were European Performance Spots, automatic places given to the best-performing associations of the previous season, taken by Newcastle United of England and Villarreal of Spain as the next-best ranked clubs in their domestic leagues behind those already qualified directly.[6](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0297-1d507af6baee-830bfe269d09-1000--2025-26-uefa-champions-league-newcastle-and-villarreal-se/)
## Calendar
The rounds and their dates were:[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/029b-1e3069454cdf-6efa559be902-1000--champions-league-qualifying-fixtures-dates-results-how-it-/)
- First qualifying round: 8/9 and 15/16 July (draw 17 June)
- Second qualifying round: 22/23 and 29/30 July (draw 18 June)
- Third qualifying round: 5/6 and 12 August (draw 21 July)
- Play-offs: 19/20 and 26/27 August (draw 4 August)
The league phase draw followed on 28 August at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/029b-1e3069454cdf-6efa559be902-1000--champions-league-qualifying-fixtures-dates-results-how-it-/)
## Round-by-round movement
**First qualifying round.** Twenty-eight champions-path teams entered. Winners advanced to the second qualifying round (champions path). Defeated sides dropped into the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round (champions path), unless drawn to receive a bye to the Conference League third qualifying round.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/029b-1e3069454cdf-6efa559be902-1000--champions-league-qualifying-fixtures-dates-results-how-it-/)
**Second qualifying round.** The champions path held 24 teams, ten entering at this stage alongside the 14 first-round winners; the league path held six teams, all entering here. Winners advanced to the third qualifying round of their respective path, while defeated sides switched to the [UEFA Europa League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-europa-league) third qualifying round of their respective path.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/029b-1e3069454cdf-6efa559be902-1000--champions-league-qualifying-fixtures-dates-results-how-it-/)
**Third qualifying round.** The champions path comprised 12 teams and the league path eight, five of the latter entering at this stage along with the three second-round winners. Winners advanced to the play-off round of their path. Champions-path losers switched to the UEFA Europa League play-off round, and league-path losers switched to the league phase of the UEFA Europa League.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/029b-1e3069454cdf-6efa559be902-1000--champions-league-qualifying-fixtures-dates-results-how-it-/)
## Play-off round
The play-off round held ten champions-path teams, four entering at this round along with the six third-round winners, and four league-path teams. Winners advanced to the league phase; all defeated sides switched to the league phase of the UEFA Europa League.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/029b-1e3069454cdf-6efa559be902-1000--champions-league-qualifying-fixtures-dates-results-how-it-/)
The seven qualifiers were Kairat Almaty, Pafos, Qarabağ, Copenhagen, Bodø/Glimt, Benfica, and Club Brugge.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/029b-1e3069454cdf-6efa559be902-1000--champions-league-qualifying-fixtures-dates-results-how-it-/) Kairat eliminated Celtic 3–2 on penalties after two goalless legs, a defeat that consigned the Scottish club to the Europa League and drew criticism from manager [Brendan Rodgers](https://www.edgepedia.org/brendan-rodgers) over the club's play-off preparations.[3](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/celtic-champions-league-qualifying-kairat-almaty-b2814777.html) Club Brugge produced the largest aggregate margin of the round, beating Rangers 9–1 over two legs after winning the first 3–1 and the second 6–0.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/029b-1e3069454cdf-6efa559be902-1000--champions-league-qualifying-fixtures-dates-results-how-it-/)
## References
1. [Champions League qualifying: Results, dates, how it worked, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/029b-1e3069454cdf-6efa559be902-1000--champions-league-qualifying-fixtures-dates-results-how-it-/)
2. [2025/26 Champions League: Who qualified for the league phase?, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0297-1d507af6baee-1bdad04be9b9-1000--2025-26-champions-league-who-is-qualifying-for-the-leagu/?rss=0297-1d507af6baee-1bdad04be9b9-10002025+26+champions+league+who+is+qualifying+for+the+leagu)
3. [Celtic crash out of Champions League qualifying as transfer gamble backfires, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/celtic-champions-league-qualifying-kairat-almaty-b2814777.html)
4. [UEFA Champions League third qualifying round draw, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/029a-1de9978a210d-f3289942328f-1000--uefa-champions-league-third-qualifying-round-draw/)
5. [Every team qualified for UEFA Champions League 2025-26, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/every-team-already-qualified-for-uefa-champions-league-2025-26-including-competition-debutants)
6. [2025/26 UEFA Champions League: Newcastle and Villarreal secure next season's European Performance Spots, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0297-1d507af6baee-830bfe269d09-1000--2025-26-uefa-champions-league-newcastle-and-villarreal-se/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football competitions and records › Seasons and editions › Season indexes, outcomes, and transfer lists*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license