2025/26 Europa League: Meet the knockout phase teams

Twenty-four teams remain in the hunt to win the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League following the conclusion of the league phase.

Here's an in-depth look at the knockout phase contenders.

UEFA coefficient rankings accurate as of league phase draw.

Round of 16

Aston Villa (ENG)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 28
How they qualified: Sixth in England
Last season: Champions League quarter-finals (L4-5agg vs Paris)
League phase position: 2
Best UEFA Cup/Europa League performance: Quarter-finals (1977/78, 1997/98)

European Cup winners in 1982, Villa finished the league phase level on 21 points with first-placed Lyon. The English side have never progressed beyond the quarter-final stage of this competition, though they did reach the semis of the 2023/24 Conference League and the final eight of last season's Champions League. Coach Unai Emery has won the Europa League four times - three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal - making him the most successful manager in the competition's history.

Braga (POR) 

UEFA coefficient ranking: 44
How they qualified: Qualifying play-offs
Last season: League phase (25/36)
League phase position: 6
Best UEFA Cup/Europa League performance: Runners-up (2010/11)

Finalists in 2011, Braga were only denied a place in the knockout phase of last season's competition on goal difference, as they finished 25th in the inaugural league phase on ten points. The Arsenalists had managed to equal that tally by Matchday 5 this time around, and picked up 17 points to finish sixth in the league phase under the guidance of Pep Guardiola's former assistant at Manchester City, Carlos Vicens.

Freiburg (GER)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 56
How they qualified: Fifth in Germany
Last season: Not in European competition
League phase position: 7
Best UEFA Cup/Europa League performance: Round of 16 (2022/23, 2023/24)

After battling their way up to the Bundesliga in the 1990s, Freiburg were nicknamed the Breisgau-Brazilians for their attractive style of play. Current coach Julian Schuster spent ten years at the club as a midfielder, then worked as assistant to his predecessor Christian Streich before taking command in 2024. Five league phase victories and two draws secured a top eight position for the German team.

Lyon (FRA)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 31
How they qualified: Sixth in France
Last season: Quarter-finals (L6-7agg vs Manchester United)
League phase position: 1
Best UEFA Cup/Europa League performance: Semi-finals (2016/17)

Les Gones (The Kids, in the local dialect) played their first competitive games in 1950, with the side from the east of France establishing their reputation with a run of seven straight national league titles from 2001/02 to 2007/08. Regular contenders in Europe, they reached the 2016/17 Europa League semi-finals and the last four of the 2009/10 and 2019/20 Champions League. They picked up 21 points from seven wins and one loss to finish top of the league phase table.

Midtjylland (DEN) 

UEFA coefficient ranking: 55
How they qualified: Qualifying play-offs
Last season: Knockout phase play-offs (L3-7agg vs Real Sociedad)
League phase position: 3
Best UEFA Cup/Europa League performance: Round of 32 (2015/16), Knockout phase play-offs (2022/23, 2024/25)

Based in Herning, Denmark, Midtjylland (literally: Central Jutland) were formed in 1999 with the merger of sides from the neighbouring towns of Herning and Ikast. The club have won four Danish titles, most recently in 2023/24, and have won European home games against Man United (2015/16), Lazio (2022/23) and Celtic (2021/22 and 2025/26) among others. A third-place finish in the league phase table took them directly through to the round of 16.

Porto (POR)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 21
How they qualified: Third in Portugal
Last season: Knockout phase play-offs (L3-4agg vs Roma)
League phase position: 5
Best UEFA Cup/Europa League performance: Winners (2002/03, 2010/11)

Named the Dragons for the mythical creature that appears at the top of their club crest, Porto are one of Portugal's big three (along with Benfica and Sporting CP). They have won 30 league titles and were champions of Europe in 1986/87 and 2003/04, as well as winning the 2002/03 UEFA Cup and 2010/11 Europa League. They progressed directly to the round of 16 with a fifth-place finish after ending the league phase with a 3-1 win against Rangers.

Real Betis (ESP)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 25
How they qualified: Sixth in Spain
Last season: Conference League runners-up (L1-4 vs Chelsea)
League phase position: 4
Best UEFA Cup/Europa League performance: Round of 16 (2005/06, 2013/14, 2021/22, 2022/23)

Real Betis's name comes from Baetis - the Roman name for the River Guadalquivir which flows through their native Seville. Spanish title winners back in 1934/35, Betis were runners-up in the 2024/25 Conference League final, and are looking to prosper in a competition their neighbours Sevilla have won a record seven times. The Spanish side beat Feyenoord 2-1 on the final night of the league phase to secure fourth spot in the table.

Roma (ITA)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 12
How they qualified: Fifth in Italy
Last season: Europa League quarter-finals (L3-4 vs Athletic Club)
League phase position: 8
Best UEFA Cup/Europa League performance: Runners-up (1990/91, 2022/23)

The club's badge features the infant Romulus and Remus - mythical founders of the city of Rome - being suckled by a she-wolf. Roma have won three Italian titles, and the 2021/22 Conference League, and were runners-up in the 1983/84 European Cup and in the 1990/91 and 2022/23 editions of this competition. A Matchday 8 draw at Panathinaikos was enough to see them straight through to the round of 16.

Knockout phase play-offs

Bologna (ITA)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 80
Knockout phase play-off opponents: Brann
How they qualified: Cup winners in Italy
Last season: Champions League league phase (28/36)
League phase position: 10
Best UEFA Cup/Europa League performance: Semi-finals (1998/99)

It's been a memorable few years for Bologna, who made a debut appearance in the Champions League last season before going on to win the Italian Cup for the first time since 1974 with a 1-0 triumph over Milan in May. Not since the 1990s have I Rossoblù (the Red and Blues) played knockout European football, and, after collecting 15 points in the league phase, there will be plenty of anticipation in the air at the characterful Stadio Renato Dall'Ara.

Brann (NOR)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 139
Knockout phase play-off opponents: Bologna
How they qualified: Qualifying play-offs
Last season: Conference League qualifying play-offs (L2-3agg vs Astana)
League phase position: 24
Best UEFA Cup/Europa League performance: Round of 32 (2007/08)

Brann secured the final knockout phase play-off spot by finishing 24th in the table, winning two, drawing three and losing three in the league phase. They were playing in the second tier of Norwegian football as recently as 2022, but have bounced back in dramatic fashion, culminating in a Europa League league phase/group stage appearance for the first time since the 2007/08 season with a thumping 6-1 aggregate win over AEK Larnaca in qualification. "Brann" means "fire" in Norwegian, reflecting the club's spirit and passionate supporters.

Celta (ESP)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 104
Knockout phase play-off opponents: PAOK
How they qualified: Seventh in Spain
Last season: Not in European competition
League phase position: 16
Best UEFA Cup/Europa League performance: Semi-finals (2016/17)

From the city of Vigo in Galicia, Celta take their name from the Celts – the tribe that once apparently inhabited this part of northwestern Spain. Os Celestes (The Sky Blues) have yet to win a major domestic trophy, but strong finishes in La Liga have made them regulars in UEFA competition, notably reaching the Europa League semi-finals in 2016/17. Four league phase wins and a draw secured them a knockout phase play-off spot with a 16th-place finish.

Celtic (SCO)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 58
Knockout phase play-off opponents: Stuttgart
How they qualified: Champions League qualifying play-offs
Last season: Champions League knockout phase play-offs (L2-3agg vs Bayern)
League phase position: 21
Best UEFA Cup/Europa League performance: Runners-up (2002/03)

A 4-2 victory over Utrecht on the final night of the league phase ensured Celtic's European campaign continues into the knockout rounds. Founded in Glasgow in 1887, the Bhoys became the first club from the British Isles to win the European Cup when they beat Inter in the 1967 final in Lisbon, with the 'Lisbon Lions' dominated by players born within ten minutes of the club's Celtic Park home. Celtic were also UEFA Cup finalists in 2002/03 but lost out to José Mourinho's Porto.

Crvena Zvezda (SRB)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 53
Knockout phase play-off opponents: Lille
How they qualified: Champions League qualifying play-offs
Last season: Champions League league phase (29/36)
League phase position: 15
Best UEFA Cup/Europa League performance: Runners-up (1978/79)

Crvena Zvezda have won 36 domestic titles (in Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro and finally Serbia) and were also European Cup winners in 1991, beating Marseille in the final in Bari, Italy. The Belgrade side also reached the final of the UEFA Cup in 1978/79, but lost to Borussia Mönchengladbach in the two-legged decider. Four wins, two draws and two defeats in the league phase earned them 14 points and a knockout phase play-off spot.

Fenerbahçe (TUR)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 40
Knockout phase play-off opponents: Nottingham Forest
How they qualified: Champions league qualifying play-offs
Last season: Round of 16 (L3-3agg, 2-3p vs Rangers)
League phase position: 19
Best UEFA Cup/Europa League performance: Semi-finals (2012/13)

Sarı Kanaryalar (The Yellow Canaries) have won a record 28 domestic titles in Türkiye, and came closest to winning a continental crown when they made it to the semi-finals of the 2012/13 Europa League. Their name literally means Lighthouse Garden, referring to a landmark that once stood in the Kadıköy area of Istanbul, and some believe the club's yellow shirts were a reference to the daffodils that grew near the lighthouse. Twelve league phase points earned them a knockout phase play-off spot.

Ferencváros (HUN)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 50
Knockout phase play-off opponents: Ludogorets
How they qualified: Champions league qualifying play-offs
Last season: Knockout phase play-offs (L1-3agg vs Viktoria Plzeň)
League phase position: 12
Best UEFA Cup/Europa League performance: Semi-finals (1971/72)

From Budapest's ninth district, 'Fradi' have won a record 36 Hungarian titles, and reached the final of the 1974/75 European Cup Winners' Cup, losing to Dynamo Kyiv. The cluster of three Es on their club badge represent the club's motto: Erkölcs, Erő, Egyetértés (translation: Morality, Strength, Understanding). Defeat at Nottingham Forest on Matchday 8 meant they dropped out of the top eight and will face a knockout phase play-off.

Genk (BEL) 

UEFA coefficient ranking: 79
Knockout phase play-off opponents: GNK Dinamo
How they qualified: Qualifying play-offs
Last season: Not in European competition
League phase position: 9
Best UEFA Cup/Europa League performance: Quarter-finals (2016/17)

Formed in 1988 with the merger of Waterschei Thor with KFC Winterslag, Genk have won four league titles and five Belgian Cups, and reached the group stage of the Champions League three times. In their most successful European campaign, the Blauw-Wit (Blue-White) reached the quarter-finals of the 2016/17 Europa League. Genk narrowly missed out on progressing automatically to the round of 16, collecting 16 points to finish ninth.

GNK Dinamo (CRO)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 54
Knockout phase play-off opponents: Genk
How they qualified: Second in Croatia
Last season: Champions League league phase (25/36)
League phase position: 23
Best UEFA Cup/Europa League performance: Quarter-finals (2020/21)

The most successful side in Croatia, with 25 league titles since independence, Dinamo have been playing in European club competitions since the days of the former Yugoslavia, notably winning the 1967 Inter-Cities' Fairs Cup (the non-UEFA affiliated ancestor of the Europa League), beating England's Leeds United in the two-legged final. Ten league phase points kept Dinamo just inside the knockout phase play-off positions.

Lille (FRA)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 29
Knockout phase play-off opponents: Crvena Zvezda
How they qualified: Fifth in France
Last season: Champions League round of 16 (L2-3agg vs Borussia Dortmund)
League phase position: 18
Best UEFA Cup/Europa League performance: Round of 16 (2001/02, 2004/05, 2005/06, 2009/10)

Les Dogues (The Mastiffs) come from the north of France, where they contest the Derby du Nord with neighbours Lens. LOSC won the last of their four national league titles in 2020/21 and have been regulars in European football in recent years, reaching the quarter-finals of the 2023/24 Conference League. A Matchday 8 win against Freiburg wrapped up their league phase on 12 points to gain a knockout phase play-off place.

Ludogorets (BUL) 

UEFA coefficient ranking: 74
Knockout phase play-off opponents: Ferencváros
How they qualified: Qualifying play-offs
Last season: League phase (33/36)
League phase position: 22
Best UEFA Cup/Europa League performance: Round of 16 (2013/14)

Based in the city of Razgrad, Ludogorets only reached the Bulgarian A League for the first time in 2011, but have established domestic dominance since then, winning the title in each of the last 14 seasons. A 1-0 success against Nice on Matchday 8 ensured they finished within the knockout phase play-off positions. Like Lazio and Benfica, Ludogorets have an eagle as a mascot, named Fortuna, who flies around the stadium ahead of important home games.

Nottingham Forest (ENG)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 85
Knockout phase play-off opponents: Fenerbahçe
How they qualified: Seventh in England
Last season: Not in European competition
League phase position: 13
Best UEFA Cup/Europa League performance: Semi-finals (1983/84)

Under the inspirational leadership of manager Brian Clough, Forest were European Champions in 1979 and 1980. This is their first continental campaign since they reached the quarter-finals of the 1995/96 UEFA Cup. The club was founded in 1865 by athletes who had been playing the traditional gaelic sport of shinty but were keen to switch to football. An emphatic 4-0 Matchday 8 success against Ferencváros secured 13th place in the table.

Panathinaikos (GRE) 

UEFA coefficient ranking: 78
Knockout phase play-off opponents: Viktoria Plzeň
How they qualified: Qualifying play-offs
Last season: Conference League round of 16 (L4-5agg vs Fiorentina)
League phase position: 20
Best UEFA Cup/Europa League performance: Quarter-finals (1987/88, 2002/03)

With 20 national titles and 20 Greek Cups, Panathinaikos are the only Greek side to have made it to the final of the world's top club competition, losing 2-0 to Ajax in the 1971 European Cup decider. The Trifylli (Shamrock) contest the most famous derby in Greek football with their rivals from the port of Piraeus, Olympiacos. With three wins, three draws and two defeats, Panathinaikos qualified for the knockout phase play-offs.

PAOK (GRE) 

UEFA coefficient ranking: 51
Knockout phase play-off opponents: Celta
How they qualified: Qualifying play-offs
Last season: Knockout phase play-offs (L1-4agg vs FCSB)
League phase position: 17
Best UEFA Cup/Europa League performance: Knockout phase play-offs (2024/25), Round of 32 (2010/11, 2011/12, 2013/14, 2016/17)

The club's PAOK initials stand for Pan-Thessalonian Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans; a throwback to the club's foundation in 1926 by Greek refugees from what is now Istanbul who settled in Salonika. The Dikefalos (Double-Headed Eagle) won their fourth Greek title in 2023/24 under current coach Răzvan Lucescu. PAOK scored 17 goals and picked up 12 points to finish 17th in the league phase table.

Stuttgart (GER)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 77
Knockout phase play-off opponents: Celtic
How they qualified: Cup winners in Germany
Last season: Champions League league phase (26/36)
League phase position: 11
Best UEFA Cup/Europa League performance: Runners-up (1988/89)

Die Schwaben (the Swabians) were runners-up in the 1988/89 UEFA Cup and 1997/98 Cup Winners' Cup, and will hope it is third time lucky if they make it to another major UEFA final. Two-time winners of the defunct Intertoto Cup, Stuttgart scooped the last of their five German Bundesliga titles in 2006/07. Five wins and three losses earned Stuttgart 11th spot in the league phase table.

Viktoria Plzeň (CZE)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 47
Knockout phase play-off opponents: Panathinaikos
How they qualified: Champions League third qualifying round
Last season: Round of 16 (L2-3agg vs Lazio)
League phase position: 14
Best UEFA Cup/Europa League performance: Round of 16 (2012/13, 2013/14, 2017/18, 2024/25)

The birthplace of the beer known worldwide as pilsner, Plzen in Czechia is also home to six-time Czech champions Viktoria Plzeň. Regular competitors in UEFA's club competitions, they reached a first continental quarter-final in 2023/24, losing out to Fiorentina in the Conference League. Viktoria Plzeň collected 14 points during the league phase to finish 14h.