Expanding the European dream: The numbers behind the league phase

The line-ups for our men’s club competitions in 2026/27 are now complete, with 108 clubs representing 39 national associations set to compete in the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.

This upcoming season will be the third featuring the league phase format, introduced in 2024/25 as the latest evolution of our club competition system. As well as bringing more big matches, competitive balance and drama, the league phase has also brought the dream of European football to more clubs, players and fans.

With a record 16 new clubs competing in the group stage or league phase of a UEFA competition for the first time, and Andorra becoming the 53rd of 55 national associations to be represented in our men’s club competitions through Inter Club d'Escaldes, the 2026/27 season is another example of the format’s impact across Europe.

UEFA Champions League

Since 2024/25, 65 different clubs from 23 nations have participated in the league phase of the Champions League. Each of the three league phases have featured exactly 16 nations.

Meanwhile, each new season of the league phase has seen a 50% turnover of teams, with 18 of 36 clubs being different from the previous season in both 2025/26 and 2026/27.

Over the three league phase campaigns, 13 clubs have competed in the Champions League for the first time. This season, there are four competition debutants: Como (Italy), LASK (Austria), Sabah (Azerbaijan) and Viking (Norway). Como and Sabah are making their first appearance in the group stage or league phase of any UEFA men’s club competition.

Como celebrate qualifying for their Champions League debut Getty Images

UEFA Europa League

Across three seasons of the league phase in the Europa League, 78 different clubs from 30 different nations have participated in the competition. In 2024/25, there were 22 nations represented, in 2025/26 there were 23, and in 2026/27 there will be 22.

This season, there are six teams making their first appearance in the group stage or league phase of a UEFA men’s club competition: Ararat-Armenia (Armenia), Bournemouth (England), Lillestrøm (Norway), OFI Crete (Greece), Sunderland (England) and Torreense (Portugal). Ararat-Armenia are the first Armenian club to reach the league phase of the Europa League, while Torreense are the first non-top-flight club from across Europe to compete in a league phase.

Second-tier Torreense qualified for the Europa League by winning the Portuguese CupAFP via Getty Images

UEFA Conference League

In the Conference League, 90 different clubs from 45 nations have participated since 2024/25. The 2026/27 campaign will feature teams from a record 30 national associations, following two seasons where 29 national associations were represented.

Following their successful run through qualifying, Inter Escaldes became the first team from Andorra to feature in one of our men’s club competitions. Since 2021/22, when the Conference League was introduced, clubs from 13 nations have successfully used the competition as a pathway to European football: Andorra, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malta, Northern Ireland and Wales.

This season, there are eight Conference League clubs making their first appearance in a UEFA group stage or league phase: Aarhus (Denmark), Egnatia (Albania), Inter Escaldes (Andorra), Iberia Tbilisi (Georgia), Kauno Žalgiris (Lithuania), Mjällby (Sweden) Riga FC (Latvia) and Sint-Truidense (Belgium). Iberia Tbilisi are the first club from Georgia to compete in the group stage or league phase since 2004/05, while Egnatia are just the second team from Albania ever to do so.