UEFA Europa League Qualification: Preview and Betting Odds

The UEFA Europa League serves as a gateway for several European clubs seeking continental victory. Every year, in July and August, multiple qualification matches take place across Europe to select teams that enter the League.

There are 36 spots to claim. The lowest-ranked clubs enter the first stage of the qualification process. Teams finishing in third and fourth position in lower-ranked domestic leagues enter the second round. Teams that lost in the Champions League qualifying round enter the second and third rounds, and finally, teams from elite clubs enter directly in the League phase.

The qualifying rounds offer a glimpse into new talent and underdog teams and are a must-watch for fans and bettors.

Below, we tell you the detailed format, key matchups, teams to watch, and a breakdown of the available betting markets.

Format of the Qualification

The 2025-26 campaign will be the 55th season of this club competition – 16th since it was rebranded from the UEFA Cup to the Europa League, and the second under the new format. 

The qualifiers kick off on 10 July 2025, and the tournament will go on until the final match in Istanbul on 20 May 2026.

Which Teams are Participating?

Teams enter the tournament at various stages depending on their seeding. 

Thirteen teams have qualified directly for the League phase. The remaining sides have secured their place through the first, second, and third qualifying rounds, along with 11 losing teams transferring from the Champions League third qualifying round. This leads to August’s play-off round, where the 36-team line-up is completed.

These are the teams participating in the 2025-26 season:

16 Teams Entering in the First Qualifying Round

• AEK Larnaca FC (Cyprus)
• FC Aktobe (Kazakastan)
• NK Celje (Slovenia)
• CFR Cluj (Romania)
• Hapoel Beer Sheva FC (Israel)
• BK Häcken (Sweden)
• Ilves Tampere (Finland)
• Legia Warszawa (Poland)
• PFC Levski Sofia (Bulgaria)
• Paksi FC (Hungary)
• FK Partizan Beograd (Serbia)
• FC Prishtina (Kosovo)
• Sabah FC (Azerbaijan)
• FC Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine)
• FC Sheriff Tiraspol (Moldova)
• FC Spartak Trnava (Slovakia)

8 Teams Entering in the Second Qualifying Round

• RSC Anderlecht (Belgium)
• FC Baník Ostrava (Czech Republic)
• Beşiktaş JK (Turkey)
• SC Braga (Portugal)
• Hibernian F.C.(Scotland)
• FC Lugano (Switzerland)
• FC Midtjylland (Denmark)
• FC Utrecht (Netherland)

3 Teams Entering in the Third Qualifying Round

• Fredrikstad FK (Norway)
• PAOK FC (Greece)
• Wolfsberger AC (Austria)

5 Teams Entering in the Play-offs

• Aberdeen FC (Scotland)
• KRC Genk (Belgium)
• Samsunspor FC (Turkey)
• SK Sigma Olomouc (Czech Republic)
• BSC Young Boys (Switzerland)

13 Teams Entering Directly in the Group Stage

• Aston Villa FC (England)
• Bologna FC (Italy)
• Real Club Celta (Spain)
• Crystal Palace FC (England)
• SC Freiburg (Germany)
• GNK Dinamo (Croatia)
• Go Ahead Eagles (Netherlands)
• LOSC Lille (France)
• Olympique Lyonnais (France)
• FC Porto (Portugal)
• Real Betis Balompié (Spain)
• AS Roma (Italy)
• VfB Stuttgart (Germany)

How are the Teams Selected?

Several teams are selected from all over Europe based on their performance in domestic competitions. UEFA also uses a coefficient ranking that ranks the combined as well as individual performance of all clubs from every country in European competitions. Based on this, teams are selected in the following way:

• Domestic Cup Winners: The winner of the national cup, like the FA Cup, Copa del Rey, etc, qualify for the Europa League. If the cup winner has already qualified for the Champions League, their Europa League spot goes to the next highest-placed national team.
• League Positions: Depending on the country’s UEFA ranking, teams finishing in 2nd to 6th place in their domestic leagues may enter the Europa League qualifiers. For example, Aston Villa earned a spot after finishing 6th in EPL. The German team, SC Freiburg, earned its spot after finishing 5th in the Bundesliga. The higher-ranked teams qualified for the UEFA Champions League.
• Champions League Dropouts: Teams that lose in the early rounds of UEFA Champions League qualification get a second chance by dropping into the Europa League qualifiers.

How are the Teams Placed in Qualifying Rounds?

The UEFA country coefficient rankings determine the number of teams that each country can send to this tournament and the stage at which they enter.

This ranking looks at the performance of each club over the last five seasons. The higher the rank, the more spots the country gets in all UEFA competitions – the Champions League (1st tier), Europa League (2nd tier), and the Conference League (3rd tier). 

This season, 13 highest-ranked teams are entering directly in the group stage – meaning they won’t have to go through the qualifier rounds.

Teams from the lowest-ranked countries like Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Israel, Moldova etc must start in the first qualifying round.The second round is the starting point for most domestic cup winners from lower-ranked associations. Some teams drop into this round after losing the first round of the Champions League qualifiers.

Cup winners from mid-ranked clubs join in the third qualifying round. This round also hosts Champions League second-round losers (Champions Path).

Play-offs are the final hurdle before the group stage starts. Champions League third-round losers enter here and 10 winners from this round qualify for the group stage.

Earlier, UEFA used to award fair play spots to clubs that had the least disciplinary records like red/yellow cards, and displayed good behavior, and respect towards officials. The three highest-placed national associations in the UEFA Respect Fair Play ranking automatically gained an extra qualification berth. They could enter in the first qualifying round of the Europa League, even if they were not domestic winners.

This format was dropped in 2016, as many clubs that received Fair Play spots were small with limited resources and little fan following. They often exited early, too. Now, instead of qualification, these clubs receive cash rewards.

Key Dates and Schedule

Currently, only the first and second qualifying round dates are available. More match dates will be released as the third round starts. Note that exact dates may vary depending on the weather.

All match timings are mentioned in BST (British Summer Time).

First Qualifying Round (Leg 1 of 2)

First Qualifying Round (Leg 2 of 2)

Second Qualifying Round (Leg 1 of 2)

Second Qualifying Round (Leg 2 of 2)

Europa League: Qualifiers 2025-26

• First qualifying round: 10 and 17 July 2025
• Second qualifying round: 24 and 31 July 2025
• Third qualifying round: 7 and 14 August 2025
• Play-offs: 21 and 28 August 2025

Europa League: League Phase Matches 2025-26

• Matchday 1: 24 & 25 September 2025
• Matchday 2: 2 October 2025
• Matchday 3: 23 October 2025
• Matchday 4: 6 November 2025
• Matchday 5: 27 November 2025
• Matchday 6: 11 December 2025
• Matchday 7: 22 January 2026
• Matchday 8: 29 January 2026

Europa League: Knockout Phase 2025-26

• Knockout phase play-offs: 19 and 26 February 2026
• Round of 16: 12 & 19 March 2026
• Quarterfinals: 9 & 16 April 2026
• Semifinals: 30 April & 7 May 2026
• Final: 20 May 2026 (Istanbul)

Notable Teams and Matchups

Legia Warszawa (Poland)

Legia made it to the Europa Cup after clinching the Cup Poland this season.  Last season, they famously stunned Chelsea 2–1 in the UEFA Conference League but were eliminated in the quarterfinals. Their attack is led by striker Marc Gual, who scored 19 goals across all competitions last season.

RSC Anderlecht (Belgium)

Anderlecht finished 4th in the Belgian Pro League in 2024-25, earning a spot in the second round qualifiers. Last season, it finished 10th in the Europa League group stage, after a 3–4 loss to Hoffenheim halted hopes for a top-eight playoff berth.

They also narrowly missed the Belgian Cup after a 1–2 loss to Club Brugge in the final. Even though they are entering in the second round, they have some top-performing players, who promise plenty of action. Look out for goalkeeper Colin Coosemans, who was voted Player of the Season, along with striker Luis Vázquez, who scored four goals in the 2024-25 Europa League.

Aston Villa FC (England)

Aston Villa finished 6th in the 2024-25 Premier League, earning a European spot. Last season, they were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League in the quarterfinals after a narrow 4–5 loss to PSG. Midfielder Morgan Rogers was Villa’s breakout star last season as he scored a hat-trick in a Champions League match against Celtic. Also look out for striker Ollie Watkins, who led Villa’s attack in the Premier League with 16 goals.

LOSC Lille (France)

Lille were placed 5th in Ligue 1 in 2024–25, earning direct entry to the Europa League group stage. Last season, they reached the Champions League round of 16. Their standout player is the 21-year-old goalkeeper, Lucas Chevalier, who was named in Ligue 1’s team of the season.

Real Betis Balompié (Spain)

Real Betis had a solid 2024–25 campaign. They finished 6th in La Liga, reached the Copa del Rey round of 16, and narrowly missed the UEFA Conference League title after a final loss to Chelsea. Their top league scorer was Isco with 9 goals (12 goals in all competitions), which earned him the UEFA Conference League Player of the Season award and a spot in the tournament’s Best XI.

UEFA Europa League Qualification Betting Odds

In the past decade, Sevilla has been the king of the Europa League, lifting the trophy four times. Their dominance gave bettors a clear trend to follow. But this year is different. None of the clubs that reached the final in the last 10 years are competing. That makes things far more unpredictable for punters interested in the UEFA Europa League qualification betting.

Unlike the Champions League, where big names like Real Madrid or PSG consistently perform, the Europa League qualifiers are featuring clubs with little European history this season. So, how do you bet smart in such a wide-open field? Start by looking at their domestic performance and pre-season friendlies. The first-leg outcomes also offer clues on which teams can offer great value. Also, follow their injuries and team news to bet smartly.

Popular Europa League Betting Markets

• Outright Winner: Pick the team you think will win the Europa League. The sooner you bet outright, the better odds you get.
• 1X2: This is the most common betting market, where you can bet on which team will win a match.
• BTTS: Another simple market to bet on. Predict whether both teams in a match will be able to score at least once.
• Over/Under: Predict whether the final goal total will be over or under the specified number in the betting line.

Note that before placing any bet, always make sure to do thorough research. Beginners should take only the lowest bet possible to protect their capital.

Advancement to Group Stage

There are two main entry routes: the Champions Path and the Main Path.

The Champions Path is for teams eliminated from Champions League qualifying rounds. These clubs drop into the Europa League. The Main Path features clubs from lower-ranked countries that qualified based on domestic league or cup results.

Both routes lead to the play-off round, and the winners advance to the league phase matches, where they face elite clubs that gain direct entry. Winners enter the round of 16, and second-place teams enter the play-offs with clubs dropping down from the Champions League group stage. Winners of that round then join the group winners in the round of 16. From there, clubs advance to the quarterfinals, semis, and the finals.

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