The UEFA Conference League league phase contains 36 teams in one table, but each club plays only six of the other 35 teams. There are no traditional four-team groups. Each club faces six different opponents, playing three matches at home and three away.
After Matchday 6, the final standings determine which teams qualify directly for the round of 16, which enter the knockout phase play-offs, and which are eliminated. In this guide, I will explain how the Conference League league phase works and why each position in the 36-team table matters.
How Many Teams Are in the Conference League League Phase?
There are 36 clubs. Every team is placed into one league table. This replaced the previous Conference League group-stage format, where clubs were divided into four-team groups. Under the current system, all 36 teams are ranked together even though they do not all play each other.
Read Also: How Do the Conference League Qualifying Rounds Work?
How Many Matches Does Each Team Play?
Each club plays six league-phase matches against six different opponents. That means:
three matches at home
three matches away
There are no return fixtures against the same league-phase opponent. So if Club A plays Club B at home during the league phase, there is no second Club B vs Club A league-phase match. Across the competition, the format produces 108 league-phase matches: 18 fixtures on each of six matchdays.
Why Does the Conference League Have Only Six Matches?
The Conference League uses a shorter league phase than UEFA's other two main men's club competitions. Champions League clubs play eight league-phase matches. Europa League clubs also play eight.
Conference League clubs play six. The competition still uses a 36-team table and similar qualification boundaries, but the schedule is shorter and finishes in December.
How Are the Six Opponents Chosen?
Before the league phase, UEFA divides the 36 clubs into six pots of six teams. The pots are based on UEFA club coefficients. Every club receives:
one opponent from Pot 1
one from Pot 2
one from Pot 3
one from Pot 4
one from Pot 5
one from Pot 6
This gives each club six different opponents. I will explain the coefficient and seeding system more fully in How Do Conference League Pots and Seeding Work?
Can a Team Play Someone From Its Own Pot?
Yes. Because every team receives one opponent from each of the six pots, every club also plays one team from its own pot. For example, a Pot 1 club faces another Pot 1 team.
A Pot 6 club also faces another Pot 6 team. This is very different from the old group-stage system, where clubs from the same seeding pot were normally kept apart.
How Are the Three Home and Three Away Matches Decided?
UEFA pairs the six pots for home-and-away allocation:
Pots 1 and 2
Pots 3 and 4
Pots 5 and 6
Within each pair of pots, a club plays one opponent at home and the other away. For example, a club could play its Pot 1 opponent at home and its Pot 2 opponent away.
It might then play Pot 3 away and Pot 4 at home. The same process applies to Pots 5 and 6. This guarantees a total of three home matches and three away matches.
Read Also: How Do Teams Qualify for the UEFA Conference League?
Was the 2026/27 League-Phase Draw Computerised?
Yes. For 2026/27, UEFA conducted the Conference League league-phase draw fully digitally using designated automated software. The system selected each club's six opponents and determined which matches would be played at home and away while respecting the applicable draw conditions.
The process was reviewed and checked by an external auditor. This was necessary because the draw had to satisfy several conditions simultaneously across all 36 clubs.
Can Clubs From the Same Country Play Each Other?
In principle, not during the league phase. UEFA normally prevents clubs from the same national association from being drawn against each other.
For example, two clubs from the same domestic association would normally not meet during these six matches. That protection does not continue throughout the entire competition. Same-country matchups can occur later in the knockout phase.
How Many Teams From the Same Foreign Association Can a Club Face?
A club can normally face a maximum of two teams from any one other national association. For example, a Danish club could potentially face two Belgian clubs among its six opponents, but it would not normally be assigned three Belgian opponents.
This helps spread each club's schedule across different associations. UEFA can adapt draw conditions when necessary to avoid deadlocks or deal with other competition constraints.
Can Teams Meet Repeatedly Across Different Seasons?
Yes, but UEFA added a condition to the 2026/27 draw. A fixture between the same two clubs cannot be repeated with the same club at home for three consecutive league-phase seasons.
For example, if Club A hosted Club B in each of the previous two league phases, the same Club A vs Club B home fixture cannot be drawn for a third consecutive season. The teams could still potentially meet with Club B hosting instead.
Does the Draw Decide the Exact Matchday?
No. The draw determines:
the six opponents
which three fixtures are at home
which three are away
UEFA then prepares the detailed fixture calendar. That process assigns each match to a particular matchday and kick-off time. So immediately after the draw, clubs know who they will face and where, but the full order of matches is confirmed afterward.
Can a Team Have Three Away Matches in a Row?
In principle, no. UEFA's scheduling rules state that a club should not play more than two consecutive home or two consecutive away matches during the league phase. UEFA also aims to give every club:
one home match and one away match across the first two matchdays
one home match and one away match across the final two matchdays
UEFA can make exceptions when necessary, but this is the normal scheduling principle.
How Does the Conference League Table Work?
All 36 clubs are ranked together. The points system is the standard one:
3 points for a win
1 point for a draw
0 points for a defeat
The maximum possible total after six matches is therefore 18 points. A club's final position depends on the points it earns across its six different fixtures.
Does Every Team Play the Same Opponents?
No. Every club receives a different six-match schedule. Two teams in the same table may have completely different opponents.
The pots are designed to spread schedules across the coefficient rankings because every club receives one opponent from each pot.
However, the competition does not attempt to make every schedule identical. That would be impossible without every club playing all 35 opponents.
Is There a Fixed Number of Points Needed to Finish in the Top Eight?
No. UEFA does not set a rule saying a specific points total automatically guarantees eighth place. The required total depends on results across the entire 36-team league. The same applies to finishing in the top 24.
A points total that is sufficient in one season may produce a different finishing position in another. The important thing is the club's final ranking after all six matchdays, not reaching a predetermined points target.
What Happens If Teams Finish Level on Points?
UEFA uses a sequence of tiebreakers. The first criteria are:
goal difference
goals scored
away goals scored
wins
away wins
If teams remain level, UEFA then considers the collective performance of their league-phase opponents before eventually reaching disciplinary record and club coefficient.
Head-to-head is not the first tiebreaker and may not be relevant because two tied clubs may never have played each other. I will cover the complete order separately in Conference League Tiebreaker Rules Explained.
What Happens to Teams Finishing 1st to 8th?
They qualify directly for the round of 16. They do not have to play in the knockout phase play-offs. This is the biggest immediate reward for finishing in the top eight.
A top-eight club therefore avoids an additional two-legged knockout tie. Its exact finishing position also helps determine where it enters the knockout bracket.
What Happens to Teams Finishing 9th to 24th?
They enter the knockout phase play-offs. The 16 teams are divided according to their final league positions.
Teams ranked:
9th to 16th are seeded.
17th to 24th are unseeded.
They play eight two-legged ties, with the winners reaching the round of 16. So finishing 16th rather than 17th can still be important even though both clubs qualify for the play-offs.
What Happens to Teams Finishing 25th to 36th?
They are eliminated from European competition. There is no lower UEFA competition for them to enter. This means 12 of the 36 league-phase teams are eliminated after Matchday 6. The remaining 24 continue into the knockout phase.
Why Does Finishing Position Matter Beyond the Top 24?
The league phase is not simply about avoiding elimination. Where a club finishes affects its later route. The major boundaries are:
8th vs 9th: eighth goes directly to the round of 16; ninth enters the play-offs.
16th vs 17th: 16th is seeded in the play-offs; 17th is unseeded.
24th vs 25th: 24th continues; 25th is eliminated.
Finishing even higher can also affect a club's later bracket position and second-leg home seeding.
Are the Knockout Pairings Based on League Position?
Yes. The final league ranking becomes the basis for the knockout bracket. In the play-offs:
9th or 10th can face 23rd or 24th
11th or 12th can face 21st or 22nd
13th or 14th can face 19th or 20th
15th or 16th can face 17th or 18th
The top-eight teams are similarly paired by league position before entering the round of 16. So finishing higher can continue to influence a club's route long after Matchday 6.
Do Pot Positions Matter After Matchday 6?
No. Once the league phase is finished, the six original draw pots stop determining a club's status. Final league position takes over. For example, a Pot 6 team that finishes fifth goes directly to the round of 16.
A Pot 1 team that finishes 20th must enter the knockout phase play-offs as an unseeded club. Historical coefficient helps structure the initial draw. Current-season performance determines what happens afterward.
Does a Win Against a Pot 1 Team Give More Points?
No. Every league-phase win is worth three points regardless of the opponent's pot. A win against a Pot 1 club is worth exactly the same number of league-table points as a win against a Pot 6 club.
There is no strength-of-opponent bonus in the table. Opponent performance can become relevant only later in UEFA's tiebreaker sequence if clubs remain level through several earlier criteria.
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
The entire league phase therefore takes place between October and December. This is another significant difference from the Champions League and Europa League, whose league phases continue into January.
Are All Matchday 6 Games Played at the Same Time?
In principle, yes. UEFA schedules the final league-phase fixtures simultaneously on Thursday at 21:00 CET. With all 36 clubs playing, that means 18 matches take place on the final matchday.
This helps prevent clubs from gaining an advantage by knowing the completed results of direct rivals before playing their own final league-phase match.
A Simple Conference League League-Phase Example
Imagine Club A records:
three wins
two draws
one defeat
That gives the club:
3 wins × 3 points = 9
2 draws × 1 point = 2
Total: 11 points
Whether 11 points puts Club A in the top eight, in positions 9th to 24th, or somewhere else depends on the results of the other 35 clubs. There is no predetermined position attached to 11 points.
How Is the Conference League League Phase Different From the Old Group Stage?
The old system divided clubs into groups. A team faced the same three opponents twice: once at home and once away. The current format is completely different. Each team now faces six different opponents.
All 36 clubs appear in one table. There are no group winners or group runners-up. Instead, the final league ranking decides direct round-of-16 qualification, play-off qualification, and elimination.
How Is It Different From the Europa League League Phase?
Both competitions have:
36 teams
one league table
top eight directly into the round of 16
ninth to 24th into the play-offs
25th to 36th eliminated
The major difference is the number of matches. Europa League clubs play eight league-phase fixtures. Conference League clubs play six. Their draw pots are also different. The Europa League uses four pots of nine, while the Conference League uses six pots of six.
Common Conference League League-Phase Misunderstandings
There are no traditional groups. All 36 clubs appear in one table.
Each club plays six matches, not eight.
The six matches are against six different opponents.
Every club plays three at home and three away.
Teams can face an opponent from their own pot.
Each club receives one opponent from each of the six pots.
Pot 1 does not guarantee an easier route through the table.
There is no fixed points total that automatically guarantees a top-eight or top-24 finish.
Teams ranked ninth to 24th are not eliminated. They enter the knockout phase play-offs.
Teams finishing 25th to 36th are eliminated and do not drop into another UEFA competition.
The original pots stop mattering after the league phase. Final table position determines the knockout route.
Conference League League Phase at a Glance
The Conference League league phase contains 36 clubs in one table. Every club plays six different opponents, with three matches at home and three away. The 36 clubs are initially divided into six coefficient-based pots of six, and every team receives one opponent from each pot.
A win earns three points, a draw one and a defeat none. After six matchdays:
1st to 8th qualify directly for the round of 16.
9th to 24th enter the knockout phase play-offs.
25th to 36th are eliminated.
League position then replaces the original draw pots as the main factor determining a club's knockout route.
Final Thoughts
The Conference League league phase uses a simple idea but an unusual schedule. All 36 teams compete in one table, yet each club plays only six opponents. The six-pot draw gives every team one opponent from each coefficient level, while the home-and-away system ensures three fixtures at home and three away.
From there, results decide everything. The top eight skip directly to the round of 16, teams ranked ninth to 24th must survive the knockout phase play-offs, and the bottom 12 are eliminated.
For me, the easiest way to remember the format is: 36 teams, six different opponents, three home matches, three away matches, and one final table that determines the route into the knockout phase.