UEFA headquarters in Switzerland will host the draw for the next rounds of the 2025-2026 Europa League this Friday, following the completion of the round of 16 qualification stage. Sixteen clubs have advanced, including Midtjylland of Denmark and Ferencváros of Hungary, representing unexpected successes in the competition.
The 2025-26 Europa League marks the 55th season of UEFA’s secondary club football tournament and the 17th season under the Europa League name. The final match is scheduled for May 20, 2026, at the Beşiktaş Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey. This season is the second to utilize a new format, replacing the traditional 32-team group stage with a 36-team league phase.
A total of 77 teams from 33 to 40 of UEFA’s 55 member associations are participating in the current season. Thirty-three associations have teams directly qualifying for the Europa League, while the remaining 12 may gain entry through transfer from the Champions League competition. However, the new format prevents clubs from transferring from the Champions League league phase into the Europa League.
Tottenham Hotspur are the current champions, but will not have the opportunity to defend their title. Winning the Europa League now automatically qualifies a club for the Champions League league phase.
As of February 26, 2026, 160 matches have been played, with a total of 428 goals scored – an average of 2.68 goals per match. Average attendance across all matches is 24,680, with a total of 3,948,871 spectators attending games throughout the competition. Igor Jesus of Nottingham Forest and Petar Stanić of Ludogorets Razgrad are currently the joint top scorers, each with seven goals.
