The path to the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League group stage is becoming clearer following the recent playoff draw for the final qualifying round. UEFA has confirmed that fourteen clubs will compete in two-legged playoff ties for the last spots in the league phase, with some participants still to be determined from the ongoing third qualifying round.

Details of the Draw

The draw took place on Monday at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, and organized the teams into two distinct routes: the champions path for domestic league winners and the league path for clubs qualifying through their league standings in countries with multiple Champions League slots.

Among the notable matchups, Scottish champions Celtic will go head-to-head with Austrian side LASK. AEK Athens has been drawn against either Levski Sofia from Bulgaria or Kazakhstan's Kairat Almaty. Additionally, the winners of the tie between Dinamo Zagreb and Žalgiris will face Norway's Viking.

Other Key Fixtures

In other matchups, either Mjällby or Slovan Bratislava will meet Ararat-Armenia or Slovenia's Celje. Another fixture will see Hapoel Be’er Sheva or Red Star Belgrade take on Aarhus from Denmark or Azerbaijan's Sabah. Furthermore, either Fenerbahce or Sturm Graz will compete against Sparta Prague or Lyon. The final playoff match will feature either Olympiacos or NEC Nijmegen against Union Saint-Gilloise from Belgium or Bodø/Glimt from Norway.

The first legs of the playoffs are set for August 18 and 19, with the return matches scheduled for August 25 and 26. The victorious teams will earn their places in the 2026/27 Champions League league phase, while all teams that do not advance will automatically enter the Europa League league phase. The draw for the Champions League league phase will take place on August 27 in Monaco, following the conclusion of the playoff round.