The UEFA Europa League’s Second season under its revamped “league phase” format kicks off Wednesday–Thursday, Sept. 24–25, with 36 clubs dropping into one unified table and each team slated for eight opponents—four home, four away—across the autumn-to-winter calendar. Full fixture lists by club and key dates are available via UEFA.
The format—in some instances referred to as a Swiss-style calendar—facilitates incremental development. Three points are still given for a win and one for a draw, yet opponents range from team to team. The top eight go directly into the round of 16 at the conclusion of the eight matchdays in late January; 9–24 placed clubs begin two-leg knockout play-offs; 25–36 teams get eliminated.
UEFA has announced fixtures for every team, setting Thursday night rhythm in Europe on a weekly cycle and determining traveling and rest periods for managers planning rotations. Some of the first starters include Real Betis vs. Nottingham Forest on Sept. 24, with more ties staggered through Oct. 2, Oct. 23, Nov. 6, Nov. 27, Dec. 11, Jan. 22 and Jan. 29. The competition proper runs from Sept. 24 to the May 20, 2026 final in Istanbul.
The 36-team tournament was divided into four pots prior to fixture scheduling, according to club coefficients with a balance distribution of opponents across leagues. The system, in its second season in the Europa League, aims to leave more clubs with a chance to advance earlier into winter and widen the variety of cross-border matchups.
How qualification works
League phase (Sept.–Jan.): Eight games per club against eight different opponents; single combined table.
Automatic last-16: Teams finishing 1–8. )
Knockout play-offs: Teams 9–24 play two legs to fight for the last-16 remaining spots.
Eliminated: Teams 25–36.
UEFA’s centralized schedule lays out the full path from this week’s opening fixtures to the late-January push for seeding, with all kick times listed in CET and club-by-club pages tracking opponents and venues. Fans and analysts can follow the evolving table as the league phase sets the bracket for the spring knockouts.
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