The UEFA Conference League is UEFA's third men's club competition, sitting below the Champions League and Europa League.
It gives clubs from across Europe another route into a major continental competition, including teams from associations that may have fewer places in the Champions League and Europa League.
The competition has changed considerably since it launched in 2021. It was originally called the UEFA Europa Conference League, but UEFA shortened the name to UEFA Conference League from the 2024/25 season. It now has a 36-team league phase rather than traditional groups.
However, unlike the Champions League and Europa League, each Conference League club plays only six league-phase matches. In this guide, I will explain how teams qualify, how the league phase works, and how the competition progresses to the final.
Read Also: Champions League vs Europa League vs Conference League: What’s the Difference?
Where Does the Conference League Sit in UEFA Club Football?
UEFA's three main men's club competitions are:
Champions League
Europa League
Conference League
The Champions League is the top competition. The Europa League sits below it. The Conference League is the third level. That does not mean clubs can simply choose which competition they want to enter.
Their route depends on domestic qualification, UEFA's access list and, in some cases, elimination from Champions League or Europa League qualifying.
How Do Teams Qualify for the Conference League?
There is no single qualification route. Clubs can enter the Conference League qualifying system through:
domestic league positions
domestic cup-related European allocations
UEFA's association access list
elimination from designated Champions League qualifying rounds
elimination from designated Europa League qualifying rounds
The exact entry round depends on the club's domestic qualification route and where its association sits in UEFA's coefficient-based access list. Some clubs therefore begin in the first qualifying round, while others enter much later.
Read Also: Europa League Yellow Card and Suspension Rules Explained
Does Any Team Qualify Directly for the Conference League League Phase?
For 2026/27, no. All 36 league-phase clubs reached the competition through UEFA qualifying routes. The final league-phase field consisted of:
24 Conference League play-off winners
12 clubs eliminated from the Europa League play-offs
So, no clubs entered the league phase directly in the 2026/27 Conference League. This differs from the Champions League and Europa League, where some clubs qualify directly for the league phase.
How Many Conference League Qualifying Rounds Are There?
The competition has:
First qualifying round
Second qualifying round
Third qualifying round
Play-off round
However, not every route begins in the first qualifying round. The qualifying system is divided into the Main Path and Champions Path.
What Is the Conference League Main Path?
The Main Path is the regular qualifying route for clubs entering through domestic qualification and certain teams transferring from Europa League qualifying. It operates through:
first qualifying round
second qualifying round
third qualifying round
play-offs
Clubs enter at different stages according to UEFA's access list. A team entering in the first qualifying round can therefore need to win four two-legged ties to reach the league phase.
Read Also: Europa League Squad Registration Rules Explained
What Is the Conference League Champions Path?
The Champions Path is primarily for domestic champions that began in Champions League qualifying and were later transferred down the UEFA competition structure. Unlike the Main Path, the Conference League Champions Path does not begin in the first qualifying round.
It starts in the second qualifying round, continues through the third qualifying round, and then reaches the play-offs. These clubs remain separated from the Main Path during those qualifying stages. Both routes ultimately feed into the same Conference League league phase.
Can a Team Start in the Champions League and End Up in the Conference League?
Yes. This can happen during qualifying. UEFA's three qualifying competitions are connected. A domestic champion might begin in Champions League qualifying, lose, and enter another stage of the Europa League or Conference League.
A club can even move through more than one UEFA competition during the same qualifying campaign. For example, depending on its original route and where it is eliminated, a club could move from:
Champions League qualifying → Europa League qualifying → Conference League
This movement stops once the league phases begin.
Can Europa League Teams Drop Into the Conference League?
During qualifying, yes. Clubs eliminated at designated Europa League qualifying stages can enter corresponding Conference League rounds. The most important late-stage example is the Europa League play-offs.
Every club eliminated in the 2026/27 Europa League play-off round entered the Conference League league phase. That produced 12 of the 36 Conference League league-phase teams. Once the league phase starts, however, there is no further drop from the Europa League into the Conference League.
Read Also: How Does the Europa League Knockout Draw Work?
Are Conference League Qualifying Ties Two-Legged?
Yes. Qualifying rounds and the play-offs are normally played over two legs. Each team plays once at home and once away. The scores from both matches are added together, and the club with the higher aggregate score advances.
If the aggregate score is level after the second leg, the tie goes to extra time and, if necessary, penalties. The away-goals rule is not used.
What Happens to Teams That Lose in Conference League Qualifying?
They are eliminated from UEFA competition. The Conference League is the final level in UEFA's men's club competition structure.
So unlike clubs dropping from the Champions League into the Europa League or Conference League, there is no lower UEFA club competition for Conference League qualifying losers to enter.
How Many Teams Are in the Conference League League Phase?
There are 36 clubs. They all appear in one league table. There are no traditional four-team groups. This league-phase system has been used since the competition format changed in 2024/25.
Read Also: How Does the Europa League Knockout Stage Work?
How Many Matches Does Each Conference League Team Play?
Each club plays six league-phase matches against six different opponents. Three are played at home and three away. This is different from both the Champions League and Europa League, where clubs play eight league-phase matches. Conference League clubs therefore have a shorter league phase.
How Does the Conference League Draw Work?
The 36 clubs are divided into six pots of six teams according to UEFA club coefficients. Each club receives one opponent from every pot. That gives every team six different opponents. For home-and-away allocation, UEFA pairs the pots:
Pots 1 and 2
Pots 3 and 4
Pots 5 and 6
A club plays one opponent from each paired set at home and the other away. The result is three home matches and three away matches.
Can a Team Play an Opponent From Its Own Pot?
Yes. Because every club receives one opponent from each of the six pots, it also faces one club from its own pot. This is different from the old UEFA group-stage system, where teams from the same seeding pot were normally kept apart. The pots now help distribute opponents across different coefficient levels rather than creating groups.
Read Also: What Is the Europa League Knockout Phase Play-Off?
Can Clubs From the Same Country Meet in the League Phase?
In principle, no. The league-phase draw normally prevents clubs from the same national association from facing each other. A club can also normally face no more than two opponents from any one other association.
These restrictions apply to the league-phase draw. They do not necessarily prevent those teams from meeting later in the knockout stage.
How Does the Conference League Table Work?
All 36 teams are ranked together. A club receives:
three points for a win
one point for a draw
no points for a defeat
After all six matches, the final table determines which clubs continue.
What Happens After the Conference League League Phase?
The 36 clubs are divided into three groups.
Teams finishing 1st to 8th qualify directly for the round of 16.
Teams finishing 9th to 24th enter the knockout phase play-offs.
Teams finishing 25th to 36th are eliminated.
There is no transfer into another European competition. So 24 teams continue beyond the league phase, while 12 are eliminated.
Why Is Finishing in the Top Eight Important?
A top-eight finish allows a club to skip the knockout phase play-offs. Instead, it goes directly into the round of 16. That means two fewer matches and one fewer knockout tie to survive.
League-phase position also helps determine the club's later knockout bracket. Finishing as high as possible therefore matters even after qualification has been secured.
How Do the Knockout Phase Play-Offs Work?
The clubs ranked ninth to 24th compete in eight two-legged ties.
Teams finishing 9th to 16th are seeded.
Those ranked 17th to 24th are unseeded.
The possible opponents are based on final league position rather than an unrestricted draw. The eight winners advance to the round of 16. The eight losers are eliminated.
How Does the Round of 16 Work?
The eight play-off winners join the eight clubs that qualified directly from the league phase. That leaves 16 teams. The top-eight teams are placed into the knockout bracket according to their final league-phase positions.
From this stage, the competition continues through:
round of 16
quarter-finals
semi-finals
final
Are Conference League Knockout Matches Two-Legged?
Yes, before the final. The knockout phase play-offs, round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals are played over two legs. The club with the higher aggregate score advances.
If the teams are level after both matches, extra time is played. If they remain level, the tie is decided by penalties. The away-goals rule is not used.
Can Clubs From the Same Country Meet in the Knockout Phase?
Yes. The same-association restriction used during the league-phase draw no longer protects clubs throughout the knockout phase. Domestic matchups can therefore occur. A team can also face an opponent it already played during the league phase.
Is There a Fresh Open Draw After Every Knockout Round?
No. The final league-phase positions help create the knockout bracket. The play-off and round-of-16 draws operate within position-based pairings.
The later quarter-final and semi-final routes are then built into that bracket rather than being completely redrawn after every round. So the league-phase ranking continues to influence a club's possible route toward the final.
How Does the Conference League Final Work?
The final is a single match. Unlike the earlier knockout rounds, there is no home-and-away tie. If the match is level after 90 minutes, extra time is played. If the score remains level, the winner is decided by penalties.
Where Is the 2026/27 Conference League Final?
The 2026/27 Conference League final is scheduled for 2 June 2027 at Beşiktaş Stadium in Istanbul, Türkiye. It will be the sixth final since the competition began.
What Does the Conference League Winner Receive?
The champion wins the Conference League trophy and earns a route into the following season's Europa League league phase.
For the 2026/27 winner, that means a place in the 2027/28 Europa League league phase if the club has not already qualified for the Champions League or Europa League through its domestic competition. This creates a direct sporting pathway from UEFA's third competition into its second.
What Are the 2026/27 Conference League League-Phase Dates?
The six matchdays are:
Matchday 1: 15 October 2026
Matchday 2: 22 October 2026
Matchday 3: 5 November 2026
Matchday 4: 26 November 2026
Matchday 5: 10 December 2026
Matchday 6: 17 December 2026
Unlike the Champions League and Europa League, the Conference League league phase finishes before the end of the calendar year.
What Are the 2026/27 Conference League Knockout Dates?
The knockout schedule is:
Knockout phase play-offs: 18 and 25 February 2027
Round of 16: 11 and 18 March 2027
Quarter-finals: 8 and 15 April 2027
Semi-finals: 29 April and 6 May 2027
Final: 2 June 2027
How Is the Conference League Different From the Europa League?
The two competitions use similar 36-team league tables and knockout structures, but there are important differences. The biggest is the league-phase schedule. Europa League clubs play eight matches.
Conference League clubs play six. The draw structure also differs. The Europa League uses four pots of nine, while the Conference League uses six pots of six.
And for 2026/27, the Conference League had no direct league-phase entrants: 24 clubs won Conference League play-offs, and 12 arrived after losing Europa League play-offs.
How Is the Conference League Different From the Old Group Stage?
Under the old format, teams were divided into four-team groups and played each opponent home and away. That system has been replaced.
Now:
36 teams share one table
each club plays six different opponents
there are no return league-phase matches against the same opponent
the top eight qualify directly for the round of 16
ninth to 24th enter the play-offs
25th to 36th are eliminated
The competition therefore functions as one large league despite each team having a different six-match schedule.
Conference League Format at a Glance
The Conference League begins with qualifying. There are Main and Champions Paths, followed by play-offs. For 2026/27, the 36-team league phase consisted of 24 Conference League play-off winners and 12 Europa League play-off losers.
Each league-phase team plays six different opponents: three at home and three away. All 36 clubs appear in one table. The top eight qualify directly for the round of 16. Teams ranked ninth to 24th enter the knockout phase play-offs.
The bottom 12 are eliminated. Every knockout round before the final is played over two legs. The final is one match at a predetermined venue.
Common Conference League Misunderstandings
The competition is no longer officially called the Europa Conference League. UEFA renamed it the Conference League from 2024/25.
There are no traditional groups. All 36 clubs appear in one league table.
Conference League clubs play six league-phase matches, not eight.
Each club faces six different opponents rather than playing three teams home and away.
For 2026/27, no club qualified directly for the league phase.
Europa League play-off losers enter the Conference League league phase.
Teams finishing 25th or lower cannot drop into another European competition.
The top eight skip the knockout phase play-offs.
The away-goals rule is not used in two-legged ties.
Final Thoughts
The Conference League has become an important part of UEFA's club competition structure. Its qualifying system gives clubs from across Europe another route into a league-phase competition while also providing a destination for teams eliminated from certain Champions League and Europa League qualifying rounds.
Once the league phase begins, the format becomes straightforward. There are 36 teams in one table, each club plays six different opponents, and final position determines what happens next.
The top eight go directly to the round of 16, ninth to 24th enter the knockout phase play-offs, and the bottom 12 are eliminated.
For me, the main difference to remember is that the Conference League uses the same 36-team league concept as UEFA's other competitions but with only six league-phase matches per club.
From there, the knockout rounds lead to a one-match final, with the champion earning a route into the following season's Europa League.