UEFA Regions' Cup qualifying: Federación Canaria, Zenica-Doboj through so far
Tuesday, September 8, 2026
Article summary
Federación Canaria and Zenica-Doboj are through to the finals with six more intermediate round groups to be decided.
Article top media content
Article body
Spain's Federación Canaria and Zenica-Doboj of Bosnia and Herzegovina are the first two teams to book their places in the 2026/27 UEFA Regions' Cup finals as the intermediate round of qualifying continues.
The eight mini-tournament winners from the intermediate round, running until 27 November, qualify for next summer's finals, to be hosted in principle by one of the contenders at dates to be confirmed.
Debutants Federación Canaria clinched their place in a dramatic Group 5 decider against Hungary's Pest, who led 1-0 with ten minutes to go until two Mario Pérez Barcos goals ensured Spain will be represented in the finals for a record-extending 11th time in 14 editions. Federación Canaria will hope to become the third consecutive Spanish winners after Galicia in 2023 and Aragón in 2025.
Zenica-Doboj are into the finals for the second time in three editions, winning Group 1 as hosts thanks to a decisive 4-0 defeat of Wales' Tim Rhanbarthol y De sealed by a Mirsad Šijerkić hat-trick. Šijerkić and Tim Rhanbarthol y De's Casey Coughlin both scored seven goals, a new record for a single intermediate round mini-tournament.
How 2026/27 Regions' Cup qualifying works
As usual, the European amateur competition starts with two rounds of qualifying, leading to an eight-team final tournament in summer 2027. In all, 34 associations entered, with their regional representatives determined ahead of qualifying (though Malta and San Marino are represented by their amateur national teams). Regions' Cup holders Aragón lost in the quarter-finals of Spain's qualifying competition.
Three sides took park in June's preliminary round, Cilicia becoming the first Armenian outfit to progress past that stage by beating Lithuania's Tera and Estonia's Hiiumaa. Cilicia advanced to join the other 31 entrants in the intermediate round, which consists of eight one-venue mini-tournaments.
Regions' Cup intermediate round groups
*Malta and San Marino enter national amateur teams; all other associations enter regional amateur teams.
Group 1 (complete)
Qualified for final tournament: Zenica-Doboj (BIH, hosts)
Also in group: Tim Rhanbarthol y De (WAL), OFS Bitola (MKD), Cilicia (ARM)
Group 2 (15–21 October)
Contenders: FA of Vojvodina (SRB), San Marino (SMR)*, MNZ Ptuj (SVN, hosts), ARF Anenii Noi (MDA)
Group 3 (7–13 September)
Contenders: AF Algarve (POR), Järvenpää United (FIN), Cheshire Football League (ENG), Gothenburg (SWE, hosts)
Group 4 (14–20 October)
Contenders: Central Bohemia (CZE), SW Bulgaria (BUL), Basa (GEO, hosts), BKS Almaty (KAZ)
Group 5 (complete)
Qualified for final tournament: Federación Canaria (ESP)
Also in group: Zemgale (LVA, hosts), Pest (HUN), Hapoel Beit Shean Mesilot (ISR)
Group 6 (29 October–4 November)
Contenders: West Slovakia (SVK), Piemonte Valle d'Aosta (ITA), Northern Ireland Eastern (NIR), Regional representatives TBC (ALB, hosts)
Group 7 (21–27 November)
Contenders; Dolnośląski (POL), Istanbul (TUR, hosts), Regional representatives TBC (ROU), Zangazur (AZE)
Group 8 (1–7 November)
Contenders: Split (CRO), Munster (IRL, hosts), Uzda (BLR), Malta (MLT)*
Regions' Cup preliminary round (complete)
Group A
Through to intermediate round: Cilicia (ARM, hosts)
Also in group: Tera (LTU), Hiiumaa (EST)
