UEFA Women's Europa Cup round of 16: Meet the contenders

After two rounds of qualifying, the inaugural UEFA Women's Europa Cup is down to the last 16, with the bracket set until the final.

We profile the contenders with the round of 16 concluding on 19/20 November.

Team guide at a glance

• Frankfurt are four-time UEFA Women's Cup/Champions League winners.
• Fortuna Hjørring were 2002/03 finalists in that competition beating Briedablik 9-0 in their qualifying group. Ajax, Breidablik, Glasgow City, Häcken and Sparta have all previously made the last eight.
• Ajax, Breidablik, Frankfurt, Häcken and Hammarby all played in the Women's Champions League group stage over the last four seasons.
• Inter are in their debut European season.
• Anderlecht, Austria, Mura, Nordsjælland, PSV, Sporting and Young Boys are in the last 16 of a UEFA women's competition for the first time.

Sparta Praha vs Young Boys

Sparta Praha (CZE)

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2024/25): 18

How they qualified for Europe: Czech runners-up

Road to round of 16:
Women's Champions League
Second qualifying round: Semi-finals 4-4aet h, 4-3pens vs Nordsjælland, Final 1-5 h vs Roma
Women's Europa Cup
Second qualifying round: 5-0agg vs Ferencváros (0-0 h, 5-0 a)

Last season: Women's Champions League qualifying round 1

Previous Women's Champions League/Women's Cup best: Quarter-finals (2005/06)

Domestic honours: 33 x League champions (including Czechoslovakia), 10 x Cup winners

• Sparta are in their 22nd UEFA women's club competition season, behind only SFK 2000 Sarajevo (23).

Young Boys (SUI)

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2024/25): N/A

How they qualified for Europe: Swiss champions

Road to round of 16:
Women's Champions League
Second qualifying round: Semi-finals 1-0 a vs Apollon LFC, Final 0-1 n vs Fortuna Hjørring
Women's Europa Cup
Second qualifying round: 3-0agg vs SFK 2000 Sarajevo (2-0 h, 1-0 a)

Last season: Not in UEFA competition

Previous Women's Champions League/Women's Cup best: Round of 32 (2011/12)

Domestic honours: 12 x League champions, 15 x Cup winners

• Young Boys are in Europe for the first time since 2011/12, which was their second appearance having been involved in the inaugural UEFA Women's Cup of 2001/02.

Anderlecht vs Austria Wien

Anderlecht (BEL)

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2024/25): 36

How they qualified for Europe: Belgian runners-up

Road to round of 16:
Women's Europa Cup
First qualifying round: 14-0agg vs Aris Limassol (5-0 a, 9-0 h)
Second qualifying round: 4-3agg vs Braga (1-1 h, 3-2aet a)

Last season: Women's Champions League qualifying round 2

Previous Women's Champions League/Women's Cup best: Round of 32 (2019/20), Qualifying round 2 (2024/25)

Domestic honours: 11 x League champions, 11 x Cup winners

• In the second qualifying round, Anderlecht trailed at Braga in extra time before Amélie Delabre scored in first-period added time then the 120th minute, the only time they led in the tie.

Austria Wien (AUT)

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2024/25): N/A

How they qualified for Europe: Austrian runners-up

Road to round of 16:
Women's Champions League
Second qualifying round: Semi-finals 2-0 h vs Glasgow City, Final 3-0 h vs FC Minsk
Third qualifying round: 0-2agg vs Paris FC (0-0 a, 0-2 h)
Women's Europa Cup
Second qualifying round: 3-3agg, 5-3pens vs Slavia Praha (1-2 a, 2-1aet h)

Last season: Not in UEFA competition

Previous Women's Champions League/Women's Cup best: Qualifying group (2001/02 as USC Landhaus)

Domestic honours: 12 x League champions (all as Landhaus), 11 x Cup winners (all as Landhaus)

• FK Austria Wien entered a partnership with USC Landhaus in 2015 and are in Europe for the first time since qualifying under their current name, which they took in 2021.

Glasgow City vs Sporting CP

Glasgow City (SCO)

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2024/25): 44

How they qualified for Europe: Scottish runners-up

Road to round of 16:
Women's Champions League
Second qualifying round: Semi-finals 0-2 a vs Austria Wien (three-team group)
Women's Europa Cup
First qualifying round: 6-0 agg vs Athlone Town (3-0 h, 3-0 a)
Second qualifying round: 6-5 agg vs HB Køge (1-2 a, 5-3 h)

Last season: Women's Champions League qualifying round 2

Previous Women's Champions League/Women's Cup best: Quarter-finals (2014/15, 2019/20)

Domestic honours: 16 x League champions, 9 x Cup winners

• Trailed HB Køge on aggregate going into the 90th minute of their second leg before scoring twice to progress, having never previously led in the tie and fallen behind on five separate occasions.

Sporting CP (POR)

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2024/25): 61

How they qualified for Europe: Portuguese runners-up

Road to round of 16:
Women's Champions League
Third qualifying round: 2-3agg vs Roma (2-1 a, 0-2 h)
Women's Europa Cup
Second qualifying round: 5-2 agg vs Rosengård (3-0 h, 2-2 a)

Last season: Women's Champions League qualifying round 2

Previous Women's Champions League/Women's Cup best: Qualifying round 2 (2024/25)

Domestic honours: 2 x League champions, 3 x Cup winners

• In their Women's Champions League tie against Roma, Sporting scored twice in added time to win the away leg 2-1.

Ajax vs Hammarby

Ajax (NED)

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2024/25): 17

How they qualified for Europe: Dutch third place

Road to round of 16:
Women's Europa Cup
First qualifying round: 4-0agg vs Sturm Graz (2-0 h, 2-0 a)
Second qualifying round: 2-1agg vs GC Frauenfussball (0-0 a, 2-1 h)

Last season: Women's Champions League qualifying round 1 final

Previous Women's Champions League/Women's Cup best: Quarter-finals (2023/24)

Domestic honours: 3 x League champions, 6 x Cup winners

• In 2023/24 Ajax finished above Bayern and Roma in their group to became the second Dutch side to reach the Women's Champions League/Women's Cup quarter-finals, after Saestum in 2006/07.

Hammarby (SWE)

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2024/25): 51

How they qualified for Europe: Swedish third place

Road to round of 16:
Women's Champions League
Second qualifying round: Semi-finals 5-4 h vs Metalist 1925, Final 0-1 h vs Manchester United
Women's Europa Cup
Second qualifying round: 5-2agg vs Brann (4-1 h, 1-1 a)

Last season: Women's Champions League group stage

Previous Women's Champions League/Women's Cup best: Group stage (2024/25)

Domestic honours: 2 x League champions, 4 x Cup winners

• Beat 2023/24 quarter-finalists Benfica to qualify for the 2024/25 Women's Champions League group stage on their European debut, the home leg of that tie attracting 12,062, a qualifying record crowd until beaten by Brann vs Man Utd this season.

PSV Eindhoven vs Eintracht Frankfurt

PSV Eindhoven (NED)

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2024/25): 71

How they qualified for Europe: Dutch runners-up

Road to round of 16:
Women's Champions League
Second qualifying round: Semi-finals 0-4 n vs Manchester United, Third-place match 2-0 n vs Metalist 1924
Women's Europa Cup
First qualifying round: 4-3agg vs Rosenborg (0-3 a, 4-0 h)
Second qualifying round: 2-0 n vs FC Minsk (one-off tie)

Last season: Not in UEFA compettiom

Previous Women's Champions League/Women's Cup best: Round of 32 (2020/21)

Domestic honours: 1 x Cup winners

• The comeback against Rosenborg was the first time in UEFA women's club competition that a team had gone through after losing the opening leg by three goals.

Eintracht Frankfurt (GER)

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2024/25): 31

How they qualified for Europe: German third place

Road to round of 16:
Women's Champions League
Third qualifying round: 1-5agg vs Real Madrid (1-2 h, 0-3 a)
Women's Europa Cup
Second qualifying round: 5-0agg vs Slovácko (4-0 h, 1-0 a)

Last season: Women's Champions League qualifying round 1 third place

Previous Women's Champions League/Women's Cup best: Winners (2001/02, 2005/06, 2007/08, 2014/15 all as FFC Frankfurt)

Domestic honours: 7 x League champions (as FFC Frankfurt), 9 x Cup winners (as FFC Frankfurt)

• Only OL Lyonnes have won more UEFA women's club titles than Frankfurt, who joined up with Eintracht in 2020. Their UEFA Women's Cup victories included the inaugural edition of 2001/02 plus wins in two-legged finals in 2005/06 and 2007/08.

Nordsjælland vs Mura

Nordsjælland (DEN)

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2024/25): 93

How they qualified for Europe: Danish runners-up

Road to round of 16:
Women's Champions League
Second qualifying round: Semi-final 4-4aet a, 3-4pens vs Sparta Praha, Third-place match 4-2 n vs Aktobe
Women's Europa Cup
First qualifying round: 8-2agg vs KuPS (3-1 h, 5-1 a)
Second qualifying round: 5-1agg vs Gintra (0-1 a, 5-0 h)

Last season: Women's Champions League qualifying round 1 third place

Previous Women's Champions League/Women's Cup best: Qualifying round 1 third place (2024/25)

Domestic honours: 1 x League champions, 3 x Cup winners

• Made their European debut last season; in their Women's Champions League qualifier against Sparta this season, Nordsjælland recovered from 3-0 and 4-1 down to force the penalty shoot-out (and also trailed Aktobe, KuPS and Gintra before coming back to win).

Mura (SVN)

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2024/25): 37

How they qualified for Europe: Slovenian champions

Road to round of 16:
Women's Champions League
Second qualifying round: Semi-final 3-2 h vs Spartak Myjava, Final 0-2 h vs GKS Katowice
Women's Europa Cup
Second qualifying round: 3-2agg vs Dinamo-BSUPC (2-0 h, 1-2 a)

Last season: Women's Champions League qualifying round 2

Previous Women's Champions League/Women's Cup best: Round of 32 (2014/15, 2020/21) / Qualifying round 2 (2024/25)

Domestic honours: 12 x League champions, 11 x Cup winners

• Only the second Slovenian side to make the last 16 of a UEFA women's club competition after Krka, who reached the 2004/05 UEFA Women's Cup second qualifying round.

Häcken vs Inter

Häcken (SWE)

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2024/25): 13

How they qualified for Europe: Swedish runners-up

Road to round of 16:
Women's Champions League
Third qualifying round: 2-3agg vs Atlético de Madrid (1-1 h, 1-2aet a)
Women's Europa Cup
Second qualifying round: 7-1agg vs GKS Katowice (4-0 h, 3-1 a)

Last season: Women's Champions League qualifying round 2

Previous Women's Champions League/Women's Cup best: Quarter-finals (2012/13 as Göteborg, 2023/24)

Domestic honours: 1 x League champions (as Göteborg), 3 x Cup winners (as Göteborg)

• Were headed for the Women's Champions League group stage but conceded an equaliser to Atleti in the tenth minute of added time.

Inter (ITA)

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2024/25): N/A

How they qualified for Europe: Italian runners-up

Road to round of 16:
Women's Champions League
Second qualifying round: Semi-finals 1-2 h vs Brann, Third-place match 4-1 h vs Valur
Third qualifying round: 0-2agg vs Paris FC (0-0 a, 0-2 h)
Women's Europa Cup
First qualifying round: 5-1agg vs Hibernian (4-1 h, 1-0 a)
Second qualifying round: 12-0agg vs Vllaznia (7-0 h, 5-0 a)

Last season: Not in UEFA competition

Previous Women's Champions League/Women's Cup best: Debut season

Domestic honours: Best league finish - 2nd place (2024/25)

• In their debut European campaign, having been founded in 2018/19, earning promotion to Serie A in their first season.

Breidablik vs Fortuna Hjørring

Breidablik (ISL)

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2024/25): 49

How they qualified for Europe: Icelandic champions

Road to round of 16:
Women's Champions League
Second quaifying round: Semi-finals 3-1 n vs Athlone Town, Final 0-2 a vs Twente
Women's Europa Cup
Second qualifying round: 5-1 agg vs Spartak Subotica (4-0 h, 1-1 a)

Last season: Women's Champions League qualifying round 1 final

Previous Women's Champions League/Women's Cup best: Quarter-finals (2006/07)

Domestic honours: 19 x League champions, 14 x Cup winners

• In 2021/22 Breidablik became the first Icelandic club to reach a major group stage in UEFA women's or men's club football, doing so in the first Women's Champions League to feature such a round.

Fortuna Hjørring (DEN)

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2024/25): 49

How they qualified for Europe: Danish champions

Road to round of 16:
Women's Champions League
Second quaifying round: Semi-finals 2-1 n vs Hibernian, Final 1-0 n vs Young Boys
Third qualifying round: 2-5agg vs St. Pölten (1-3 a, 1-2 h)
Women's Europa Cup
Second qualifying round: 2-1agg vs Vorskla Poltava (1-1 a, 1-0 h)

Last season: Not in UEFA competition

Previous Women's Champions League/Women's Cup best: Runners-up (2002/03)

Domestic honours: 12 x League champions, 11 x Cup winners

• The only Danish club to reach a major UEFA club competition final for men or women. They appeared in the first UEFA women's club competition final to be played over two legs (as the inaugural Europa Cup decider will be), losing 7-1 on aggregate to Umeå after a run that included a 9-0 win against Breidablik in the qualifying group stage.

Cup wins refer to main domestic FA cup only.

Women's Europa Cup knockout bracket

Quarter-finals (11/12 & 18/19 February)
1: Sparta Praha / Young Boys vs Anderlecht / Austria Wien
2: Glasgow City / Sporting CP vs Ajax / Hammarby 
3: PSV Eindhoven / Eintracht Frankfurt vs Nordsjælland / Mura
4: Häcken / Inter vs Breidablik / Fortuna Hjørring

Semi-finals (24/25 March & 1/2 April)
1: Winner quarter-final 1 vs Winner quarter-final 2
2: Winner quarter-final 3 vs Winner quarter-final 4

Final (25 or 26 April & 2 or 3 May)
Winner semi-final 1 vs Winner semi-final 2

First named team at home in first leg