UEFA Conference League third qualifying round draw

The 2025/26 UEFA Conference League third qualifying round draw took place at 14:00 CET on Monday 21 July at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland. The two-legged ties will take place on 7 and 14 August 2025.

2025/26 UEFA Conference League third qualifying round draw

Champions Path

NK Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN)/Inter Club d'Escaldes (AND) vs FC Dinamo-Minsk (BLR)/KF Egnatia (ALB)
FK Budućnost Podgorica (MNE)/FC Milsami Orhei (MDA) vs Virtus A.C. 1964 (SMR)

The New Saints FC (WAL)/FC Differdange 03 (LUX) vs FCI Levadia Tallinn (EST)/FC Iberia 1999 Tbilisi (GEO)
Víkingur (FRO) vs FK Žalgiris (LTU)/Linfield FC (NIR)

Main Path

FK Dečić (MNE)/SK Rapid (AUT) vs Dundee United FC (SCO)/FC UNA Strassen (LUX)
FC Aktobe (KAZ)/AC Sparta Praha (CZE) vs FC Ararat-Armenia (ARM)/FC Universitatea Cluj (ROU)
Ilves Tampere (FIN)/AZ Alkmaar (NED) vs FC Vaduz (LIE)/Dungannon Swifts FC (NIR)
FC Lugano (SUI)/CFR 1907 Cluj (ROU) vs NK Celje (SVN)/AEK Larnaca FC (CYP)

FK Radnički 1923 (SRB)/KÍ Klaksvík (FRO) vs FC Kosice (SVK)/FC Neman Grodno (BLR)
Riga FC (LVA)/FC Dila Gori (GEO) vs FK Sutjeska-Nikšić (MNE)/Beitar Jerusalem FC (ISR)
KF Vllaznia (ALB)/Víkingur Reykjavík (ISL) vs Havnar Bóltfelag (FRO)/Brøndby IF (DEN)
PFC Zire (AZE)/HNK Hajduk Split (CRO) vs Atlètic Club d’Escaldes (AND)/FC Dinamo City (ALB)

RSC Anderlecht (BEL)/BK Häcken (SWE) vs FC Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA)/FC Utrecht (NED)
FC Vardar (MKD)/FC Lausanne-Sport (SUI) vs FC Zimbru Chisinau (MDA)/FC Astana (KAZ)
Larne FC (NIR)/FC Prishtina (KOS) vs NK Varaždin (CRO)/CD Santa Clara (POR)
Aris Limassol FC (CYP)/Puskás Akadémia FC (HUN) vs AEK Athens FC (GRE)/Hapoel Beer-Sheva FC (ISR)

Viking FK (NOR)/FC Koper (SVN) vs PFC Cherno More (BUL)/İstanbul Başakşehir FK (TUR)
Araz-Naxçıvan PFK (AZE)/Aris Thessaloniki FC (GRE) vs Omonoia FC (CYP)/FC Torpedo Kutaisi (GEO)
FC Ballkani (KOS)/Floriana FC (MLT) vs St Joseph's FC (GIB)/Shamrock Rovers FC (IRL)
Raków Częstochowa (POL)/MŠK Žilina (SVK) vs FC Torpedo-Belaz (BLR)/Maccabi Haifa FC (ISR)

AIK Stockholm (SWE)/Paide Linnameeskond (EST) vs FC Pyunik (ARM)/ETO FC Győr (HUN)
FK Sarajevo (BIH)/Universitatea Craiova (ROU) vs Hibernians FC (MLT)/FC Spartak Trnava (SVK)
FC Polissya (UKR)/FC Santa Coloma (AND) vs Paksi FC (HUN)/NK Maribor (SVN)
FC Levski Sofia (BUL) vs SC Braga (POR) vs FC Petrocub (MDA) vs Sabah FC (AZE)

Silkeborg IF (DEN)/KA Akureyri (ISL) vs FK Novi Pazar (SRB)/Jagiellonia Białystok (POL)
FC Oleksandriya (UKR)/FK Partizan Beograd (SRB) vs FC Midtjylland (DEN)/Hibernian FC (SCO)
Baník Ostrava (CZE)/Legia Warszawa (POL) vs FK Austria Wien (AUT)/Spaeri FC (GEO)
Rosenborg BK (NOR)/KF Banga (LTU) vs Hammarby Fotboll (SWE)/R. Charleroi SC (BEL)
St. Patrick's Athletic (IRL)/Nõmme Kalju FC (EST) vs Beşiktaş JK (TUR)/FC Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)
FK Kauno Žalgiris (LTU)/Valur (ISL) vs FC Arda Kardzhali 1924 (BUL)/HJK Helsinki (FIN)

Seeded teams in bold

Kick-off times to be announced by 25 July 2025 (first and second leg)

Draw procedure

CHAMPIONS PATH
Number of teams involved: 8 (six pairings from the second qualifying round Champions Path and two teams entering directly from the UEFA Champions League first qualifying round Champions Path)
Number of seeded teams: 4
Number of matches: 2 x 4

MAIN PATH
Number of teams involved: 52 (44 pairings from the second qualifying round Main Path and eight pairings from the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round Main Path)
Number of seeded teams: 26
Number of matches: 2 x 26

Based on Article 14 of the UEFA Conference League Regulations (UECL Regulations) the following draw procedure was adopted by the UEFA Club Competitions Committee. Furthermore, the following paragraphs of the UCL Regulations are applicable to the draw.

Match system

15.01: The qualifying phase and play-offs follow the knockout system, whereby each team plays each opponent twice, in home and away matches. The team that scores the greater aggregate of goals in the two matches qualifies for the relevant round or stage (as applicable). In the event that the two teams score the same number of goals across the two matches, Article 21 applies.

Draw system and conditions

14.01: A draw between the same number of seeded and unseeded clubs determines the ties for the qualifying phase and play-offs. Clubs are seeded for these draws in accordance with the club coefficient rankings established at the beginning of the season (see Annex D) and with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee. If, for any reason, any of the participants in the rounds concerned are not known at the time of the draw, the coefficients of the two clubs involved in the undecided tie are used for the purposes of the draw. For the club advancing to the next round of the competition as winner of the tie, the coefficient of the club with the higher coefficient of the two clubs involved is used for the purposes of the draw. For the other club, which is fed into the relevant round of the competition from another competition, the lower coefficient of the two clubs in the pairing of the other competition is used for the purposes of the draw.

14.02: The UEFA administration may form groups for the draw in accordance with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee. Clubs from the same association cannot be drawn against each other.

14.03: A draw is conducted to determine the ties of each match and which team plays the first leg match at home.

In accordance with the relevant decisions of the UEFA Executive Committee, teams from the following associations may not be drawn against each other:

Armenia – Azerbaijan
Gibraltar – Spain
Kosovo – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Kosovo – Serbia
Kosovo – Russia*
Ukraine – Russia*
Ukraine – Belarus

*All teams from Russia are suspended until further notice by the decision of the Executive Committee of 28 February 2022, and as confirmed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on 15 July 2022.

Draw system (Champions Path)

The eight teams (two teams that enter the round directly from the UEFA Champions League first qualifying round champions path, and six pairings of teams participating in the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round champions path ties, indicated for the purpose of this draw as Winners of Pairings 1 to 6) were divided into two groups of four teams and/pairings.

Within each of the groups, the teams were divided into an equal number of seeded and unseeded teams and/or pairings.

As the teams qualifying from the previous qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League were not known at the time of the draw, the coefficient of the team with the higher coefficient of the two teams involved in each undecided tie was used for the seeding for the purposes of the draw. Therefore, if a team in a tie of the previous qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League had a coefficient that would entitle it to be seeded for the current draw, that pairing was seeded for this draw.

Groupings (Champions Path)

Group 1
Seeded
Winners of pairing 1: NK Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN) vs Inter Club d'Escaldes (AND)
Winners of pairing 2: FK Budućnost Podgorica (MNE) vs FC Milsami Orhei (MDA)

Unseeded
Winners of pairing 3: FC Dinamo-Minsk (BLR) vs KF Egnatia (ALB)
Virtus A.C. 1964 (SMR)

Group 2
Seeded
Winners of pairing 4: FK Žalgiris (LTU) vs Linfield FC (NIR)
Winners of pairing 5: The New Saints FC (WAL) vs FC Differdange 03 (LUX)

Unseeded
Winners of pairing 6: FCI Levadia Tallinn (EST) vs FC Iberia 1999 Tbilisi (GEO)
Víkingur (FRO)

Draw procedure (Champions Path)

Three bowls were prepared for the draw, with the balls containing the names of the seeded and unseeded teams and/or pairings from Group 1 placed in the corresponding marked bowls.

One ball was then taken from each of these bowls and placed in the third empty central bowl, where they were shuffled. The first team then drawn from this bowl was considered the home team for the first leg of the first tie, which they will play against the second team drawn.

The process was then repeated with the remaining balls to complete all the ties from Group 1. The same procedure was then carried out to determine the ties for the remaining group.

Draw system (Main Path)

The 52 teams were divided into four groups of ten pairings (Groups 1 to 4) and one group of 12 pairings (Group 5), with an equal number of seeded and unseeded pairings in each group.

As the teams qualifying from the previous qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League were not known at the time of the draw, the coefficient of the team with the higher coefficient of the two teams involved in each undecided tie was used for the seeding for the purposes of the draw. Therefore, if a team in a tie of the previous qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League had a coefficient that would entitle it to be seeded for the current draw, that pairing was seeded for this draw.

As the teams entering the competition from the previous qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League were not known at the time of the draw, the coefficient of the team with the lower coefficient of the two teams involved in each undecided UEFA Europa League previous qualifying round tie was used for the seeding for the purposes of the draw.

Groupings (Main Path)

Group 1
Seeded
1 FK Dečić (MNE) vs SK Rapid (AUT)
2 PFC Cherno More (BUL) vs İstanbul Başakşehir FK (TUR)
3 FC Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA) vs FC Utrecht (NED)
4 FK Radnički 1923 (SRB) vs KÍ Klaksvík (FRO)
5 FC Pyunik (ARM) vs ETO FC Győr (HUN)

Unseeded
6 Viking FK (NOR) vs FC Koper (SVN)
7 Dundee United FC (SCO) vs FC UNA Strassen (LUX)
8 RSC Anderlecht (BEL) vs BK Häcken (SWE)
9 AIK Stockholm (SWE) vs Paide Linnameeskond (EST)
10 FC Kosice (SVK) vs FC Neman Grodno (BLR)

Group 2
Seeded
1 FC Aktobe (KAZ) vs AC Sparta Praha (CZE)
2 Omonoia FC (CYP) vs FC Torpedo Kutaisi (GEO)
3 FC Zimbru Chisinau (MDA) vs FC Astana (KAZ)
4 Riga FC (LVA) vs FC Dila Gori (GEO)
5 Hibernians FC (MLT) vs FC Spartak Trnava (SVK)

Unseeded
6 Araz-Naxçıvan PFK (AZE) vs Aris Thessaloniki FC (GRE)
7 FC Ararat-Armenia (ARM) vs FC Universitatea Cluj (ROU)
8 FC Vardar (MKD) vs FC Lausanne-Sport (SUI)
9 FK Sarajevo (BIH) vs Universitatea Craiova (ROU)
10 FK Sutjeska-Nikšić (MNE) vs Beitar Jerusalem FC (ISR)

Group 3
Seeded
1 Ilves Tampere (FIN) vs AZ Alkmaar (NED)
2 St Joseph's FC (GIB) vs Shamrock Rovers FC (IRL)
3 NK Varaždin (CRO) vs CD Santa Clara (POR)
4 KF Vllaznia (ALB) vs Víkingur Reykjavík (ISL)
5 Paksi FC (HUN) vs NK Maribor (SVN)

Unseeded
6 FC Ballkani (KOS) vs Floriana FC (MLT)
7 FC Vaduz (LIE) vs Dungannon Swifts FC (NIR)
8 Larne FC (NIR) vs FC Prishtina (KOS)
9 FC Polissya (UKR) vs FC Santa Coloma (AND)
10 Havnar Bóltfelag (FRO) vs Brøndby IF (DEN)

Group 4
Seeded
1 FC Lugano (SUI) vs CFR 1907 Cluj (ROU)
2 FC Torpedo-Belaz (BLR) vs Maccabi Haifa FC (ISR)
3 AEK Athens FC (GRE) vs Hapoel Beer-Sheva FC (ISR)
4 PFC Zire (AZE) vs HNK Hajduk Split (CRO)
5 FC Petrocub (MDA) vs Sabah FC (AZE)

Unseeded
6 Raków Częstochowa (POL) vs MŠK Žilina (SVK)
7 NK Celje (SVN) vs AEK Larnaca FC (CYP)
8 Aris Limassol FC (CYP) vs Puskás Akadémia FC (HUN)
9 FC Levski Sofia (BUL) vs SC Braga (POR)
10 Atlètic Club d'Escaldes (AND) vs FC Dinamo City (ALB)

Group 5
Seeded
1 FC Oleksandriya (UKR) vs FK Partizan Beograd (SRB)
2 Beşiktaş JK (TUR) vs FC Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)
3 FK Novi Pazar (SRB) vs Jagiellonia Białystok (POL)
4 FC Arda Kardzhali 1924 (BUL) vs HJK Helsinki (FIN)
5 Hammarby Fotboll (SWE) vs R. Charleroi SC (BEL)
6 Baník Ostrava (CZE) vs Legia Warszawa (POL)

Unseeded
7 Rosenborg BK (NOR) vs KF Banga (LTU)
8 FK Austria Wien (AUT) vs Spaeri FC (GEO)
9 FC Midtjylland (DEN) vs Hibernian FC (SCO)
10 Silkeborg IF (DEN) vs KA Akureyri (ISL)
11 St. Patrick's Athletic (IRL) vs Nõmme Kalju FC (EST)
12 FK Kauno Žalgiris (LTU) vs Valur (ISL)

Draw procedure (Main Path)

Groups 1 to 4

All the clubs in each of the four groups were randomly assigned a number: 1 to 5 for the seeded teams/pairings and 6 to 10 for the unseeded teams/pairings.

Three bowls were prepared for the draw, with the balls containing the numbers for the seeded and unseeded teams for Groups 1-4 placed in the correspondingly marked bowls.

One ball was taken from each of these bowls and placed in the third empty central bowl, where they were shuffled. The teams represented by the first number then drawn from this bowl was considered the home team of the first pairing of all four groups, and they will play against the teams indicated by the number of the ball drawn second from this bowl.

For example, if the first ball drawn contained the number 2 and the second the number 8, the clubs that have been assigned the numbers 2 and 8 in each of the four groups will play each other. The first ball drawn, here containing the number 2, designated the home team for the first leg in all four ties.

The process was then repeated with the remaining balls to complete all the ties.

Group 5

The procedure was exactly the same as above, with the only difference being that the seeded teams and/or pairings were assigned numbers 1 to 6, and the unseeded teams and/or pairings assigned numbers 7 to 12.

Draw explanation

A video explaining the draw procedure was shown prior to the draw.

Calendar elaboration

The following paragraphs of the UECL Regulations are applicable to the match calendar.

24.01: The stadiums, dates (in accordance with the calendar in Annex C) and kick-off times for all matches in the qualifying phase and the play-offs are fixed by the home clubs in consultation with their respective associations and must be confirmed to the UEFA administration by the deadline set by the UEFA administration. The UEFA administration may alter or confirm dates and kick-off times in accordance with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee.

24.02: If two or more clubs from the same city, within a radius of 50km of each other and/or playing in the same stadium, take part in any of the UEFA club competitions, and if the association and the clubs concerned explicitly declare when entering the clubs that their matches cannot be played on the same day or on consecutive days, the UEFA administration may alter or confirm dates and kick-off times in accordance with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee.

24.03: The UEFA administration decides on match dates and fixture reversals on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with the applicable principles set by the Club Competitions Committee. In any case, the UEFA administration reserves the right to impose a match date if the circumstances so require."

Any changes of date and fixture reversals will be communicated in writing to the clubs and their respective associations on the day of the draw.