UEFA Europa League 2026/27 begins today, 16 September, with the first nine matches of the league phase. Another nine matches are scheduled on Thursday, completing the first matchday.

It is the third Europa League season in the current league-phase format, with 36 teams. Each side has eight opponents, and a single table determines who qualifies directly for the round of 16 and who must go through the play-offs.

The first evening starts with Ararat-Armenia v Sparta Praha and Omonia v Celta, both scheduled at 18:45 CET.

The other Wednesday matches are scheduled at 21:00 CET. The headline fixture is Milan v Benfica, a meeting between two clubs with major European histories.

Also on Wednesday: Leverkusen v Celje, Hapoel Beer-Sheva v GNK Dinamo, Olympiacos v Jagiellonia, Anderlecht v Lyon, Sturm Graz v Rennes and Sunderland v AZ Alkmaar.

On Thursday the matchday continues with nine more games. OFI Crete v Hoffenheim and Levski Sofia v Salzburg are scheduled at 18:45 CET.

The evening includes Beşiktaş v Marseille, Celtic v Ferencváros, Crystal Palace v Lech Poznań, Viktoria Plzeň v Union SG, Juventus v N.E.C., Lillestrøm v Torreense and Real Sociedad v Bournemouth.

The 36 teams are in a single table, not traditional groups of four. Each plays eight matches, four at home and four away, against different opponents.

The top eight sides qualify directly for the round of 16. Teams in 9th–24th enter the knockout play-offs, and those lower in the table are eliminated.

The league phase will run until 28 January 2027. After the opening round on 16 and 17 September, the second round is scheduled for 15 October, followed by matchdays on 22 October, 5 November, 26 November, 10 December, 21 January and 28 January.

The format differs from the old group stage because each club meets eight distinct opponents. Goal difference and every point can therefore matter in the overall table.

The season will end with the final scheduled at Stadion Frankfurt on 26 May 2027.

UEFA has already confirmed separately that the 2028 final will be held at Bucharest’s National Arena.

For the current season, however, the road to Frankfurt starts today. Milan, Benfica, Juventus, Lyon, Leverkusen and Marseille are among the important names in the league phase.

The English clubs include Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Sunderland, according to UEFA’s official list.

The times published by UEFA are CET and must not be confused with UK time. At the 12:15 UK publication of this article, the first matches will not yet have started, so the piece remains a preview, not a live report.

Any schedule change announced by UEFA before publication must be updated.

After months of qualifying and the draw, Europa League enters the main stage today: eight matches for each club, 144 games in the league phase and a single table will decide who continues on the road to Frankfurt.

Image: Prelvini / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Stadio Giuseppe Meazza (San Siro), 7 May 2021. Cropped to 16:9.

Source consulted: 2026/27 UEFA Europa League: Teams, dates, draws, format, final | UEFA; UEFA Europa League fixtures and results | UEFA.