UEFA Champions League qualifying for the 2026/27 season don start on 7 July and go conclude on 26 August. Twenty-nine teams don qualify directly for the league phase, with the final seven spots coming through qualifying. There be first, second, and third qualifying round, then the play-offs.
From the second qualifying round onwards, each phase dey split into two paths – the Champions Path and the League Path. The Champions Path contain teams wey qualify as winners of their domestic league, while the League Path contain teams wey qualify through domestic leagues wey offer more than one place for the competition. The round wey teams enter dey based on their association club coefficient rankings.
First qualifying round dem schedule for 7/8 and 14/15 July 2026, with draw on 16 June. Second qualifying round go hold 21/22 and 28/29 July 2026, draw on 17 June. Third qualifying round dey for 4/5 and 11 August 2026, draw on 20 July. Play-offs go take place 18/19 and 25/26 August 2026, draw on 3 August.
For Champions Path, 28 teams enter for first qualifying round. Dem include Sabah vs The New Saints, Floriana vs Shamrock Rovers, Flora Tallinn vs Iberia Tbilisi, Lincoln Red Imps vs Inter Escaldes, Tre Fiori vs Larne, Ararat-Armenia vs Riga, Vardar vs KuPS Kuopio, Kauno Žalgiris vs Drita, Vitebsk vs Universitatea Craiova, Petrocub vs Egnatia, Borac vs Levski Sofia, Víkingur Reykjavík vs Győri ETO, Kairat Almaty vs Sutjeska, and Klaksvík vs Atert Bissen. Second legs go be on 14/15 July.
Winners of each tie go advance to second qualifying round for Champions Path. Defeated sides go switch to UEFA Conference League second qualifying round for Champions Path, unless dem draw to receive a bye to UEFA Conference League third qualifying round for Champions Path.
For second qualifying round, Champions Path get 24 teams – 10 enter for this round, plus 14 winners from first qualifying round. League Path get 4 teams wey enter for this round. First legs dey for 21/22 July 2026, second legs for 28/29 July 2026. Some fixtures include Mjällby vs winner of Lincoln Red Imps/Inter Escaldes, Crvena Zvezda vs winner of Tre Fiori/Larne, Aarhus vs Lech Poznań, and Omonoia vs winner of Kairat Almaty/Sutjeska. For League Path, Fenerbahçe go face Górnik Zabrze, and Sturm Graz go play Hearts.
Winners of each tie go advance to third qualifying round for their respective path. Defeated sides go switch to UEFA Europa League third qualifying round for their respective path. Third qualifying round first legs dey for 4/5 August, second legs for 11 August 2026. Winners go advance to play-off round, with defeated sides for Champions Path going to UEFA Europa League play-off round, and defeated sides for League Path going to UEFA Europa League league phase.
Play-off round first legs dey for 18/19 August, second legs for 25/26 August 2026. Winners go enter league phase, while all defeated sides go switch to UEFA Europa League league phase. League phase draw go take place on Thursday 27 August 2026, featuring 36 teams – 29 automatic qualifiers and seven play-off round winners.
