Conference League: 2025/26 league phase in numbers

The league phase of the 2025/26 UEFA Conference League wrapped up in dramatic fashion as 18 games kicked off simultaneously on Thursday 18 December.

We run through the eye-catching facts and figures from the league phase, as ten teams celebrated debuts in the main stage of a European competition and new records were set by Fiorentina's Edin Džeko, AEK Larnaca's David Gerasimou and Lee Casciaro of Lincoln Red Imps.

Statistics do not include qualifying unless stated.

1 Hamrun Spartans became the first Maltese club to participate in the league phase/group stage of a European competition. Also debuting at this stage of a European competition were Crystal Palace (England), Drita (Kosovo), KuPS Kuopio (Finland), Rayo Vallecano (Spain), Samsunspor (Türkiye), Shelbourne (Republic of Ireland), Shkëndija (North Macedonia) Sigma Olomouc (Czechia) and Universitatea Craiova (Romania).

2 Celje's Franko Kovačević got the ball rolling with an opening-night hat-trick and Lamine Diaby-Fadiga added the second and final treble of the league phase in Raków's Matchday 4 victory at SK Rapid.

3 Table-toppers Strasbourg, runners-up Raków and eighth-placed AEK Larnaca all finished with unbeaten records.

4 Fiorentina participated in the Conference League proper for the fourth time, equalling the record of Gent, who competed in the first four editions.

5 AEK Larnaca were the final team to concede in the league phase, Häcken finally breaching their defence in the 94th minute on Matchday 5. The Cypriot side kept yet another clean sheet on Matchday 6, meaning they only conceded one league phase goal to equal the competition record.

5 There was a three-way tie in the race to be the league phase's top scorer as Lech Poznań's Mikael Ishak scored twice on Matchday 6 to join Noah's Nardin Mulahusejnović and Celje’s Franko Kovačević on five goals. Ishak is also now on ten Conference League goals, two off the all-time mark.

6 Mulahusejnović scored the league phase's opening goal, six minutes into Noah's Matchday 1 victory over Rijeka.

7 Of the ten league/group debutants, seven reached the knockout phase: Crystal Palace, Drita, KuPS Kuopio, Rayo Vallecano, Samsunspor, Shkëndija and Sigma Olomouc.

14 AEK Athens scored more goals than any other team with 14. Two stoppage-time goals on Matchday 6 helped them claim a top-eight spot in the league phase table – and took them first in these rankings!

15 David Gerasimou became the youngest player to feature in the UEFA Conference League when he took the field as a substitute in AEK Larnaca's 4-0 win against AZ Alkmaar on Matchday 1. Aged just 15 years 334 days, Gerasimou beat the previous mark set by Ayyoub Bouaddi (16 years 3 days) in 2023.

20 Teams from 20 different nations progressed to the knockout phase. In securing progress, Noah, KuPS Kuopio, Drita and Shkëndija became the first teams from Armenia, Finland, Kosovo and North Macedonia respectively to qualify from the league phase/group stage of a senior men's European club competition.

29 Teams from 29 different national associations participated in the league phase. Poland were the best represented with four: Jagiellonia Białystok, Lech Poznań, Legia Warszawa and Raków.

32 Strasbourg have lost only one of their 32 home European matches, the sole defeat coming against Milan in October 1995. They recorded two wins and one draw in three home fixtures in the league phase.

32 AEK Athens' impressive 1-0 victory at Fiorentina on Matchday 4 brought an end to two formidable streaks. The Viola had scored in their last 32 home UEFA competition games and were unbeaten in 16 (W11 D5).

35 Hamrun Spartans goalkeeper Henry Bonello made the most saves during the league phase with 35.

39 Edin Džeko became the oldest scorer in Conference League history at 39 years 220 days when he struck Fiorentina's second in the 3-0 win at SK Rapid on Matchday 2.

41 Eighteen simultaneous games produced 41 goals as the league phase was settled on 18 December 2025.

41 Lincoln Red Imps forward Andre Tjay De Barr was the most-fouled player by some distance. His total of 41 was 16 higher than second-placed Jagiellonia forward Afimico Pululu.

44 On Matchday 6, Lee Casciaro became the oldest player ever to appear in the competition when he came on as a substitute for Lincoln Red Imps at Legia Warszawa aged 44 years 80 days.

46 Minutes 46 to 60 were the most productive in the league phase with a total of 46 goals scored.

48 A total of 48 goals were scored on Matchday 1, but Celje's Franko Kovačević was the only player to get more than one – his hat-trick inspiring victory against AEK Athens.

65 Shakhtar were the possession kings, boasting a share of 65%, over 5% more than second-placed Sparta Praha.

100 Fiorentina became the first team to reach 100 goals scored in the Conference League proper on Matchday 5 thanks to Albert Gudmundsson's winner in their 2-1 victory against Dynamo Kyiv.

256 The league phase produced 256 goals – an average of 2.38 per match.