Benfica plays with Milan, AZ, Celtic and other opponents, and Danilo Sikana's Anderlecht beats out Lyon, Marseille and Salzburg.
On Friday, the 28th of September, Monaco made the draw for the main stage of the European League for the 2026/27 season.
In the new format of the tournament, 36 teams will compete, divided into several categories according to the UEFA club rating. Each participant will play in all matches, taking two opponents from a skin cat.
Benfica, represented by Ukrainians Georgiy Sudakov and Anatoly Trubin, began drawing foals from the first cat. Among the Portuguese club's super teams will be Milan, AZ Alkmaar, Celtic, Viktoria Pilsen, Lech, Omonia, OFI and Nijmegen.
Danil Sikan's Anderlecht, who has lost another cat, plays against Lyon, Marseille, Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb, Sunderland, Jagiellonia, Goffenheim and OFI.
Results of the draw for the main stage of the 2026/27 European League Benfica: AZ Alkmaar, Milan, Celtic, Viktoria Pilsen, Lech, Omonia, OFI, Nijmegen.
Bayer: Marseille, Lyon, Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb, Celje, Lech, Besiktas, OFI.
Juventus: Real Sociedad, AZ Alkmaar, Rennes, Ferencvaros, Omonia, Celta Vigo, Nijmegen, Hapoel Be'er Sheva.
Milan: Benfica, Olympiakos, Ferencvaros, Salzburg, Sunderland, Bournemouth, Ararat-Virmenia, Levski.
Lyon: Bayer Leverkusen, Real Sociedad, Union Saint-Gilloise, Anderlecht, Crystal Palace, Jagiellonia, Lillestrom, Hoffenheim.
AZ Alkmaar: Juventus, Benfica, Dinamo Zagreb, Sparta Prague, Sturm, Sunderland, Hapoel Be'er Sheva, Ararat-Virmenia.
Olympiakos: Milan, Marseille, Sparta Prague, Rennes, Jagiellonia, Celje, Hoffenheim, Torrense.
Real Sociedad: Lyon, Juventus, Viktoria Plzen, Union Saint-Gilloise, Bournemouth, Cristal Palace, Torrense, Lillestrom.
Marseille: Olympiacos, Bayer Leverkusen, Anderlecht, Celtic, Celta, Sturm, Levski, Besiktas.
Ferencvaros: Juventus, Milan, Viktoria Plzen, Celtic, Celje, Lech, Torrense, Hoffenheim.
Victoria Pilsen: Benfica, Real Sociedad, Union, Ferencvaros, Jagiellonia, Bournemouth, Levski, Lillestrom.
Union: Real Sociedad, Lyon, Celtic, Viktoria Plzen, Lech, Celta, Hapoel Be'er Sheva, Besiktas.
Dinamo Zagreb: Bayer Leverkusen, AZ Alkmaar, Anderlecht, Rennes, Sturm, Sunderland, Nijmegen, Hapoel Be'er Sheva.
Salzburg: Milan, Bayer, Sparta Prague, Anderlecht, Crystal Palace, Celje, Ararat-Virmenia, Levski.
Celtic: Marseille, Benfica, Ferencvaros, Union, Celta, Omonia, Besiktas, Torrense.
Sparta Prague: AZ Alkmaar, Olympiacos, Rennes, Salzburg, Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Lillestrom, Ararat-Virmenia.
Rennes: Olympiacos, Juventus, Dinamo Zagreb, Sparta Prague, Omonia, Sturm, OFI, Nijmegen.
Anderlecht: Lyon, Marseille, Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb, Sunderland, Jagiellonia, Hoffenheim, OFI.
Sturm: Marseille, AZ Alkmaar, Rennes, Dinamo Zagreb, Celje, Bournemouth, OFI, Hoffenheim.
Lech: Bayer Leverkusen, Benfica, Ferencvaros, Union, Sunderland, Cristal Palace, Torrense, OFI.
Crystal Palace: Real Sociedad, Lyon, Sparta Prague, Salzburg, Lech, Jagiellonia, Hoffenheim, Besiktas.
Bournemouth: Milan, Real Sociedad, Viktoria Plzen, Sparta Prague, Sturm, Celta, Hapoel Beer Sheva, Lillestrom.
Sunderland: AZ Alkmaar, Milan, Dinamo Zagreb, Anderlecht, Jagiellonia, Lech, Levski, Torrense.
Celje: Olympiacos, Bayer, Salzburg, Ferencvaros, Omonia, Sturm, Nijmegen, Ararat-Virmenia.
Jagiellonia: Lyon, Olympiakos, Anderlecht, Victoria Pilsen, Crystal Palace, Sunderland, Ararat-Virmenia, Levski.
Omonia: Benfica, Juventus, Celtic, Rennes, Celta, Celje, Besiktas, Nijmegen.
Celta: Juventus, Marseille, Union, Celtic, Bournemouth, Omonia, Lillestrom, Hapoel Beer Sheva.
Goffenheim: Lyon, Olympiakos, Ferencvaros, Anderlecht, Sturm, Cristal Palace, Besiktas, OFI.
Besiktas: Marseille, Bayer Leverkusen, Union, Celtic, Cristal Palace, Omonia, Hapoel Be'er Sheva, Hoffenheim.
Torrense: Olympiacos, Real Sociedad, Celtic, Ferencvaros, Sunderland, Lech, Ararat-Virmenia, Lillestrom.
Hapoel Be'er Sheva: Juventus, AZ Alkmaar, Dinamo Zagreb, Union, Celta, Bournemouth, OFI, Besiktas.
Nijmegen: Benfica, Juventus, Rennes, Dinamo Zagreb, Omonia, Celje, Levski, Ararat-Virmenia.
OFI: Bayer Leverkusen, Benfica, Anderlecht, Rennes, Lech, Sturm, Hoffenheim, Hapoel Be'er Sheva.
Lillestrom: Real Sociedad, Lyon, Viktoria Pilsen, Sparta Prague, Bournemouth, Celta Vigo, Torrance, Levski.
Levski: Milan, Marseille, Salzburg, Victoria Pilsen, Jagiellonia, Sunderland, Lillestrom, Nijmegen.
Ararat-Virmenia:
AZ Alkmaar, Milan, Sparta Prague, Salzburg, Celje, Jagiellonia, Nijmegen, Torrense.
From the main stage, all the top teams in the league table will directly advance to the 1/8 finals. Clubs that sit between 9th and 24th will count other participants in the upcoming round in stick matches.
The European League final for the 2026/27 season is scheduled for May 26, 2027. The final match of the tournament will take place at the Waldstadion near Frankfurt.