Europa League 2026/27: teams, schedule, and betting odds

To find some of the best Europa League odds and predictions, follow the Marathonbet blog and read all the latest news.

The revamped Europa League format has produced some exciting matches, with English teams going for a hat-trick of wins after Aston Villa (2026) and Tottenham Hotspur (2025) won the previous two tournaments. Who will win the 2026/27 Europa League?

Europe’s current second-tier club competition began life as the UEFA Cup in 1971. At that stage, it replaced the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and ran as the third-tier European competition until 1999. In that year, the Cup Winners’ Cup was discontinued, and the two competitions merged. Then, in 2009, the competition was rebranded as the Europa League.

31 different teams have won the UEFA Cup/Europa League since it began in 1971. Sevilla have been the dominant side in this competition in recent years, having won the trophy seven times between 2006 and 2023. They have the notable distinction of winning the final on each occasion they have contested it. Four teams have won the trophy three times—Inter, Liverpool, Juventus and Atlético Madrid.

Tottenham’s victory in 2025 was their second win in the competition, as they won the inaugural UEFA Cup competition in 1972, when they defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers in the final.

A total of 76 teams will compete in the 2026/27 Europa League, with each of the top-12 ranked associations having two representatives.

What is the format for the 2026/27 Europa League?

The format for the Europa League, as in the Champions League, was updated from the 2024/25 season. A 36-team league stage has replaced the group stage. Each team will play matches against eight different opponents, four at home and four away. These matches will be determined with the 36 teams ranked into four seeding pots. Each team will play two opponents from each of those pots.

The league phase proved full of excitement last season, with several places in the knockout rounds not being determined until the final round of matches had been completed. The eventual winners, Aston Villa, finished second in the league-phase table, winning seven and losing one of their eight matches.

How do teams qualify from the league phase of the Europa League?

• The top eight sides in the league phase will qualify for the knockout phase and move directly into the round of 16.
• The sides finishing 9^th to 24^th will compete in a two-legged playoff round to determine the other eight teams advancing to the round of 16.
• Those sides finishing 25^th or lower will be eliminated. There is no access to the UEFA Conference League for teams that do not advance from the league phase.

Europa League schedule (2026/27)

First qualifying round

First leg: 9^th July, Second leg: 16^th July

Second qualifying round

First leg: 23^rd July, Second leg: 30^th July

Third qualifying round

First leg: 6^th August, Second leg: 13^th August

Playoff round

Draw date: 3^rd August 

First leg: 20^th August, Second leg: 27^th August 

League phase

Draw date: 28^th August 

Matchday 1: 16^th–17^th September 

Matchday 2: 15^th October 

Matchday 3: 22^nd October 

Matchday 4: 5^th November 

Matchday 5: 26^th November 

Matchday 6: 10^th December 

Matchday 7: 21^st January 

Matchday 8: 28^th January

Knockout phase

Draw date: 29^th January 

Knockout round playoffs: First leg: 18^th February, Second Leg 25^th February 

Draw date for round of 16 onwards: 26^th February 

Round of 16: First leg: 11^th March, Second Leg 18^th March 

Quarter-finals: First leg: 8th April, Second Leg 15^th April 

Semi-finals: First leg: 29^th April, Second Leg 6^th May 

Final: 26^th May

Where will the Europa League final 2026/27 be held?

The final will be held on the 26^th of May 2027 at Waldstadion in Frankfurt, Germany. This is the home stadium of Eintracht Frankfurt.

The stadium was constructed between 1921 and 1925. The first competitive match was played in June 1925, in which FC Nürnberg defeated FSV Frankfurt 1-0.

The stadium has had four renovations during its 101-year history, with the last upgrade coming in 2005. It has hosted many big matches over the years, most recently in Euro 2024.

Which teams will compete in the league phase of the 2026/27 Europa League?

There are currently 13 teams that have already booked their places in the league phase of the 2026/27 Europa League:

• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Crystal Palace
• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Bournemouth
• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Sunderland
• 🇮🇹 Milan
• 🇮🇹 Juventus
• 🇪🇸 Real Sociedad
• 🇪🇸 Celta Vigo
• 🇩🇪 Hoffenheim
• 🇩🇪 Bayer Leverkusen
• 🇫🇷 Marseille
• 🇫🇷 Rennes
• 🇳🇱 AZ Alkmaar
• 🇵🇹 Torreense

Europa League 2025/26 stats

A few statistics from the 2025/26 Europa League:

Note: These stats include data from the league stage onwards.

Top scorers: 7 – Igor Jesus (Nottingham Forest), Petar Stanić (Ludogorets Razgrad). 6 – Kerem Aktürkoğlu (Fenerbahçe), Antony (Real Betis)

Most assists: 8 – Deniz Undav (VfB Stuttgart)

Most yellow cards: 39 – Fenerbahçe, 38 – Sporting Braga

Highest scoring match: 7 – Lille 3-4 PAOK, Sporting Braga 3-4 Genk, FCSB 4-3 Feyenoord, Bologna 4-3 Roma (a.e.t.)

Successive wins: 9 – Aston Villa

Successive losses: 7 – Maccabi Tel Aviv

Most goals scored in league stage: 18 – Aston Villa, Midtjylland

Fewest goals scored in league stage: 2– Maccabi Tel Aviv

Most goals conceded in league stage: 22 – Maccabi Tel Aviv Fewest goals conceded in league stage: 3 – Viktoria Plzeň

You’ll find great odds and a massive range of markets on all the Europa League matches in the Marathonbet Sportsbook. The coverage doesn’t end when the live action starts; prices are updated continuously throughout each match.

For further reading, you’ll find our Champions League predictions and tips article on the blog, as well as weekly predictions for the English Premier League.