# 2025–26 UEFA Women's Europa Cup
The **2025–26 UEFA Women's Europa Cup** was the inaugural season of the [UEFA Women's Europa Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-womens-europa-cup), UEFA's second club competition for women's football, run alongside the [UEFA Women's Champions League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-womens-champions-league) as a straight knockout tournament played entirely over two legs. It was won by the Swedish club Häcken, who beat fellow Swedes Hammarby 4-2 on aggregate in the two-legged final.[1](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/029c-1e6df4a858e1-212bd6e36df5-1000--2025-26-uefa-women-s-europa-cup-dates-access-list-full-guide/) • [2](https://www.uefa.com/womenseuropacup/news/029e-1efb20338bad-74d728006183-1000--women-s-europa-cup-all-the-results/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Edition | First season of the UEFA Women's Europa Cup, launched in 2025/26 as UEFA's second women's club competition[1](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/029c-1e6df4a858e1-212bd6e36df5-1000--2025-26-uefa-women-s-europa-cup-dates-access-list-full-guide/) |
| Format | 43 clubs, straight knockout, six rounds (two qualifying rounds, round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, final), all ties over two legs including the final[1](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/029c-1e6df4a858e1-212bd6e36df5-1000--2025-26-uefa-women-s-europa-cup-dates-access-list-full-guide/) |
| Entry | 12 teams entered directly; 31 transferred from Women's Champions League qualifying[1](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/029c-1e6df4a858e1-212bd6e36df5-1000--2025-26-uefa-women-s-europa-cup-dates-access-list-full-guide/) |
| Champions | Häcken, beating Hammarby 4-2 on aggregate in the final[2](https://www.uefa.com/womenseuropacup/news/029e-1efb20338bad-74d728006183-1000--women-s-europa-cup-all-the-results/) |
| Top scorer | Felicia Schröder (Häcken), 8 goals[3](https://www.uefa.com/womenseuropacup/news/02a6-20d60515287c-df7f4c7f5d90-1000--2025-26-women-s-europa-cup-hacken-triumph-in-first-edition/) |
| Prize for winners | Direct qualification to the third qualifying round of the champions path of the next season's Women's Champions League[1](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/029c-1e6df4a858e1-212bd6e36df5-1000--2025-26-uefa-women-s-europa-cup-dates-access-list-full-guide/) |
| Notable first | Häcken were the first Swedish team to lift a UEFA club competition trophy since 2004[3](https://www.uefa.com/womenseuropacup/news/02a6-20d60515287c-df7f4c7f5d90-1000--2025-26-women-s-europa-cup-hacken-triumph-in-first-edition/) |
## Launch and format
UEFA created the competition to add a second women's club tournament to the European calendar from 2025/26, giving more clubs and their fans the opportunity of stepping onto the European stage; its brand identity was unveiled on 1 September 2025 at the first qualifying round draw at UEFA headquarters in Nyon.[1](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/029c-1e6df4a858e1-212bd6e36df5-1000--2025-26-uefa-women-s-europa-cup-dates-access-list-full-guide/) • [4](https://www.uefa.com/womenseuropacup/news/029d-1e9e6f168d61-9c27d294ac78-1000--uefa-women-s-europa-cup-brand-identity-revealed/) The competition regulations took effect on 27 June 2025.[5](https://documents.uefa.com/r/Regulations-of-the-UEFA-Women-s-Europa-Cup-2025/26/II-Competition-System-Online)
The tournament ran in parallel to the Women's Champions League and featured six rounds: the first and second qualifying rounds, the round of 16, the quarter-finals, the semi-finals, and the final, every one of them played home and away. Twelve teams entered directly, the third-placed teams in the domestic leagues of the associations ranked 8 to 13 and the runners-up of the associations ranked 18 to 24, while a feeding system from the Champions League gave a second chance to clubs eliminated in its qualifying rounds.[1](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/029c-1e6df4a858e1-212bd6e36df5-1000--2025-26-uefa-women-s-europa-cup-dates-access-list-full-guide/) [No Russian](https://www.edgepedia.org/no-russian) clubs took part, following the suspension of all Russian national teams and clubs from [UEFA competitions](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-competitions) decided on 28 February 2022.[1](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/029c-1e6df4a858e1-212bd6e36df5-1000--2025-26-uefa-women-s-europa-cup-dates-access-list-full-guide/)
**Entry routes.** The first qualifying round involved 22 teams: 11 entering directly and 11 transferred after finishing third in their Women's Champions League second qualifying round mini-tournaments. The second qualifying round expanded to 32 teams in 16 two-legged ties, adding Slovácko as a direct entrant, the 11 second-place finishers from the Champions League second qualifying round mini-tournaments, the nine clubs eliminated in the Champions League third qualifying round, and the 11 first-round winners.[3](https://www.uefa.com/womenseuropacup/news/02a6-20d60515287c-df7f4c7f5d90-1000--2025-26-women-s-europa-cup-hacken-triumph-in-first-edition/)
## Calendar
The first qualifying round was drawn on 31 August in Nyon, with legs on 10/11 and 17/18 September 2025. The second qualifying round was played on 7/8 and 15/16 October, the round of 16 on 11/12 and 19/20 November, the quarter-finals on 11/12 and 18/19 February 2026, the semi-finals on 24/25 March and 1/2 April, and the final on 25 or 26 April and 2 or 3 May.[1](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/029c-1e6df4a858e1-212bd6e36df5-1000--2025-26-uefa-women-s-europa-cup-dates-access-list-full-guide/)
## Knockout rounds
In the round of 16, Sparta Praha, despite a 3-0 first-leg loss, won the second leg 4-0 against Young Boys thanks to a late Michaela Khýrová goal, becoming the first side ever in UEFA women's club competition to advance after dropping a home leg by three goals or more.[3](https://www.uefa.com/womenseuropacup/news/02a6-20d60515287c-df7f4c7f5d90-1000--2025-26-women-s-europa-cup-hacken-triumph-in-first-edition/)
**Quarter-finals.** Häcken beat Breidablik 7-0 at home and 4-1 away, an 11-1 aggregate, while [Eintracht Frankfurt](https://www.edgepedia.org/eintracht-frankfurt) defeated Nordsjælland 7-2 on aggregate. Hammarby knocked out [Sporting CP](https://www.edgepedia.org/sporting-cp) on penalties after a 1-1 aggregate tie, with Sporting's Telma Encarnação sending the tie to extra time with an overhead kick. Sparta Praha needed extra time to eliminate Austria Wien 3-1 on aggregate and became the first Czech team to reach a UEFA women's club competition semi-final.[3](https://www.uefa.com/womenseuropacup/news/02a6-20d60515287c-df7f4c7f5d90-1000--2025-26-women-s-europa-cup-hacken-triumph-in-first-edition/)
**Semi-finals.** Häcken won the first leg 3-0 at Eintracht Frankfurt and held on despite losing the second leg 0-1, advancing 3-1 on aggregate. Hammarby beat Sparta Praha 5-2 across two legs.[3](https://www.uefa.com/womenseuropacup/news/02a6-20d60515287c-df7f4c7f5d90-1000--2025-26-women-s-europa-cup-hacken-triumph-in-first-edition/)
## Final
The final was the first all-Swedish final in a UEFA club competition, with each team hosting a leg. Häcken won the first leg 1-0 away at Hammarby on 25 April 2026, then won the second leg 3-2 at Gothenburg's Hisingen Arena on 1 May to take the tie 4-2 on aggregate.[2](https://www.uefa.com/womenseuropacup/news/029e-1efb20338bad-74d728006183-1000--women-s-europa-cup-all-the-results/) • [3](https://www.uefa.com/womenseuropacup/news/02a6-20d60515287c-df7f4c7f5d90-1000--2025-26-women-s-europa-cup-hacken-triumph-in-first-edition/)
[Felicia Schröder](https://www.edgepedia.org/felicia-schroder) scored all four of Häcken's goals across the tie, including two early goals at the start of the second leg and a third early in the second half to complete her hat-trick, after Svea Rehnberg and Elin Sørum had twice brought Hammarby back into contention. Schröder finished as the competition's top scorer with 8 goals, ahead of Khýrová on 5, and Nicole Anyomi and Telma Encarnação on 4 each.[3](https://www.uefa.com/womenseuropacup/news/02a6-20d60515287c-df7f4c7f5d90-1000--2025-26-women-s-europa-cup-hacken-triumph-in-first-edition/)
## Significance
The title made Häcken the first Swedish team to lift a UEFA club competition trophy since 2004.[3](https://www.uefa.com/womenseuropacup/news/02a6-20d60515287c-df7f4c7f5d90-1000--2025-26-women-s-europa-cup-hacken-triumph-in-first-edition/) As inaugural winners, Häcken earned direct qualification to the third qualifying round of the champions path of the next season's Women's Champions League, one round from the league phase.[1](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/029c-1e6df4a858e1-212bd6e36df5-1000--2025-26-uefa-women-s-europa-cup-dates-access-list-full-guide/) The final closed a season in which the same Oslo date, 23 May 2026, saw [FC Barcelona](https://www.edgepedia.org/fc-barcelona) beat OL Lyonnes in the Women's Champions League final at [Ullevaal Stadion](https://www.edgepedia.org/ullevaal-stadion).[6](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/02a6-20d5754e28b9-c23cf37e8c28-1000--a-new-era-peaks-in-oslo-uefa-women-s-champions-league-and-/)
## References
1. [2025/26 UEFA Women's Europa Cup: Dates, access list, full guide, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/029c-1e6df4a858e1-212bd6e36df5-1000--2025-26-uefa-women-s-europa-cup-dates-access-list-full-guide/)
2. [Women's Europa Cup: All the results, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/womenseuropacup/news/029e-1efb20338bad-74d728006183-1000--women-s-europa-cup-all-the-results/)
3. [2025/26 Women's Europa Cup: Häcken triumph in first edition, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/womenseuropacup/news/02a6-20d60515287c-df7f4c7f5d90-1000--2025-26-women-s-europa-cup-hacken-triumph-in-first-edition/)
4. [UEFA Women's Europa Cup brand identity revealed, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/womenseuropacup/news/029d-1e9e6f168d61-9c27d294ac78-1000--uefa-women-s-europa-cup-brand-identity-revealed/)
5. [Regulations of the UEFA Women's Europa Cup 2025/26, UEFA documents](https://documents.uefa.com/r/Regulations-of-the-UEFA-Women-s-Europa-Cup-2025/26/II-Competition-System-Online)
6. [A new era peaks in Oslo, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/02a6-20d5754e28b9-c23cf37e8c28-1000--a-new-era-peaks-in-oslo-uefa-women-s-champions-league-and-/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football competitions and records › Seasons and editions › Women's football seasons*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 11, 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