The 2026/27 UEFA Champions League qualification phase is rapidly advancing, with the tournament now entering its third of four qualifying rounds. This crucial stage begins this week, as clubs battle to secure their places in Europe’s premier club competition.
Following the format established over the past two seasons, the league phase will feature 36 teams, of which 29 have already secured their spots. This leaves seven positions still to be claimed through the qualifying rounds, with 24 teams currently competing for these remaining berths.
The third qualifying round is scheduled with first-leg matches on August 4 and 5, followed by second legs on August 11 and 12. This round splits into two distinct paths: the Champions path and the League path.
Third Qualifying Round Matchups
In the Champions path, a series of fixtures will determine which domestic champions advance. The pairings include:
- Dinamo Zagreb of Croatia versus Lithuania’s Kauno Žalgiris
- Sweden’s Mjällby AIF faces Slovakia’s Slovan Bratislava
- Bulgaria’s Levski Sofia takes on Kazakhstan’s Kairat
- Denmark’s AGF meets Azerbaijan’s Sabah
- Armenia’s Ararat-Armenia competes against Slovenia’s Celje
- Hapoel Be’er Sheva from Israel challenges Serbia’s Red Star Belgrade
Meanwhile, the League path features clubs that reached the qualification through their league positions but did not win their domestic championships. The matchups are:
- Greek side Olympiacos versus NEC from the Netherlands
- Belgium’s Union Saint-Gilloise taking on Norway’s Bodø/Glimt
- One of either Turkey’s Fenerbahçe or Austria’s Sturm Graz will advance to face their next opponent
- The winner between Czech Republic’s Sparta Prague and France’s Lyon will also proceed
Teams marked with an asterisk (*) will be seeded in the upcoming playoff round.
The victors of these ties will move on to the playoff round, which represents the final hurdle in the qualification process before the league phase begins. The draw for the playoff round is set to take place shortly after these matches conclude, setting the stage for the last set of qualifiers to join the already confirmed 29 participants.