UEFA Youth League domestic champions path latest: First round complete

The first of three rounds in the UEFA Youth League domestic champions path is complete

In all, 50 clubs enter the tournament in this path, with ten teams eventually due to emerge to join the top 22 sides in the UEFA Champions League path in the round of 32. Twenty clubs took part in the ten first-round ties, and the winners of those contests join the 30 teams beginning in the second round.

HJK Helsinki, who made it from the first round of this path to the last 16 in 2025/26, are on their way again after eliminating debutants Ballkani. However the other team that got through this path a year ago after starting in the first round, Dinamo-Minsk, fell on penalties to Dinamo Tbilisi in a thrilling tie that ended 6-6 on aggregate.

Four Youth League newcomers made it through: Cardiff Met, Flora Tallinn, Partizani and Super Nova, the Latvian club's first representatives in any UEFA competition. Cardiff Met are the first team from Wales to get through a round or register a victory in this competition, feats matched on behalf of North Macedonia by Brera Strumica.

Antonio Arapović scored five goals across the two legs of Zrinjski Mostar's victory against Lincoln Red Imps, while Kairat Almaty and Žalgiris are both through from this round for the second time in three seasons.

Antonio Arapović (No9) scored five for Zrinjski Mostar over two legs against Lincoln Red ImpsHŠK Zrinjski Mostar

The bracket for all three two-legged rounds was set by the draw on 1 September; among those awaiting in the second round are former champions AZ Alkmaar, Benfica, Chelsea and Salzburg.

First round

Second legs

Wednesday 14 October:

Kairat Almaty 8-1 Mladost Donja Gorica (agg: 13-1)
Ballkani 1-2 HJK Helsinki (agg: 1-8)
Partizani 4-0 Valletta (agg: 6-0)
Dinamo-Minsk 2-3 Dinamo Tbilisi (agg: 6-6, Dinamo Tbilisi win 3-1 on penalties)
AP Brera Strumica 8-0 FC Santa Coloma (agg: 11-0)
Super Nova 1-0 Cliftonville (agg: 1-0)
Žalgiris 2-0 Thór (agg: 6-3)
UNA Strassen 1-0 Cardiff Met (agg: 1-4)
HB 1-4 Flora Tallinn (agg: 1-7)

Tuesday 13 October:

Lincoln Red Imps 1-4 Zrinjski Mostar (agg: 1-10)

First legs

Saturday 10 October:

Dinamo Tbilisi 3-4 Dinamo-Minsk 

Wednesday 16 September:

FC Santa Coloma 0-3 AP Brera Strumica 
Zrinjski Mostar 6-0 Lincoln Red Imps 
Thór 3-4 Žalgiris 
Flora 3-0 HB
HJK Helsinki 6-0 Ballkani
Valletta 0-2 Partizani
Cliftonville 0-0 Super Nova
Cardiff Met 4-0 UNA Strassen

Tuesday 15 September:

Mladost Donja Gorica 0-5 Kairat Almaty

• Ballkani, Cardiff Met, Flora, Mladost Donja Gorica, Partizani, Super Nova, Thór and UNA Strassen were making their UEFA Youth League debuts in the first round. It was Mladost Donja Gorica and Super Nova's first club appearances in any UEFA competition.
• AP Brera Strumica, Cliftonville, FC Santa Coloma and Havnar Bóltfelag were also aiming to get through a UEFA Youth League round for the first time.
• Dinamo-Minsk and HJK Helsinki both reached the knockout phase from the domestic champions path first round last season. Each lost to eventual semi-finalists Paris Saint-Germain, Dinamo-Minsk in the last 32 and HJK in the round of 16 (after beating Manchester City on penalties to get there).

Second round (28 October & 4 November)

• In the second round, Clermont, Göztepe, Hradec Králové and Stabæk make competition debuts. It is Clermont's first club appearance in any UEFA competition.
• Clermont are the 15th different French entrants, moving them one ahead of Germany as the nation with the most distinct entries over the 13 editions.
• Also starting in the second round are two-time champions Chelsea, fellow past victors AZ Alkmaar, Benfica and Salzburg. AZ and Salzburg have won this competition after starting in the domestic champions path. Chelsea also reached the final from this path in 2018/19.
• Benfica maintain their record of entering in all 13 editions. In the first leg, Benfica will play their 100th game in this competition. Only Real Madrid have previously reached this mark; Atlético de Madrid and Barcelona will also be bringing up a century on Matchday 3 of the league phase.
• Bravo, Fiorentina, Hammarby, Pafos, Qarabağ and St. Patrick's Athletic are aiming to get through a stage of this competition for the first time.
• Dynamo Kyiv successfully came through this path for the fourth time last season. AZ, Legia and Žilina also came through this path and both reached the round of 16.

Third round (25 November & 9 December)

UEFA Youth League knockout calendar

Round of 32 draw: 11 December, Nyon
Round of 32: 2/3 February
Knockout draw (round of 16 onwards): 5 February, Nyon
Round of 16: 23/24 February
Quarter-finals: 16/17 March
Semi-finals: 16 April
Final: 19 April