UEFA Conference League Play-Offs: Second Legs Decide the 2026/27 League-Phase Line-Up

The UEFA Conference League play-offs reach their decisive stage on Thursday, 27 August 2026, with 23 second-leg ties still to be settled after Hearts became the first play-off winner to secure a place in the league phase.

By the end of Thursday night, the full 36-team Conference League league-phase line-up is expected to be known. Twenty-four places come from Conference League play-off winners, while the other 12 go to clubs eliminated from the UEFA Europa League play-offs.

Several ties remain completely level after the first legs, while Rangers, Ajax, Freiburg, Getafe, Monaco and other clubs take advantages into their return matches.

South African fans can follow the changing scores, match events and results through SP Score as the final qualification places are decided.

UEFA Conference League play-offs: Quick facts

READ ALSO: CAF Champions league 2026/27

Which team has already qualified for the Conference League league phase?

Hearts became the first Conference League play-off winner confirmed this week after overcoming SK Rapid on Wednesday, 26 August.

The second leg in Vienna finished 2-2 after extra time, leaving the tie level at 4-4 on aggregate. Hearts then won the penalty shoot-out 4-3 to secure their league-phase place.

Their qualification means one of the 24 places available through the Conference League play-offs has already been taken.

The other 23 Conference League play-off second legs will decide the remaining winners on Thursday.

Conference League play-off second legs: 27 August fixtures and first-leg scores

The return matches are spread across Thursday evening, with some ties beginning level and others featuring significant first-leg advantages.

The times below are listed for South African viewers in SAST.

Key Conference League play-off second legs to watch

Thursday’s schedule contains several ties where one goal could completely change the qualification picture.

Brighton vs Tromsø starts level at 0-0

Brighton return to England with everything still to play for after their first meeting with Tromsø ended goalless.

The 0-0 first-leg score means neither club has an aggregate advantage entering the second leg.

Brighton therefore need a win at home to secure their league-phase place without extra time, while Tromsø know an away victory would send them through.

The match begins at 20:30 SAST.

Rangers defend a 1-0 lead against Jablonec

Rangers travel to Jablonec with a narrow advantage after winning the first leg 1-0.

That gives the Scottish side control of the aggregate score but leaves the tie open. A Jablonec goal would immediately bring the aggregate score level.

Rangers will be looking to protect or extend their advantage and secure their place among the 36 Conference League teams.

The second leg starts at 18:00 SAST.

Ajax carry a two-goal advantage against Sion

Ajax are in a stronger position after winning the first leg against Sion 4-2.

They return home with a two-goal cushion, meaning Sion need to overturn that deficit in Amsterdam to keep their European campaign alive.

Ajax vs Sion starts at 20:00 SAST.

Freiburg lead Motherwell 3-1

Freiburg also take a two-goal advantage into their second leg after beating Motherwell 3-1.

The German side are at home for the return fixture and will begin in a strong aggregate position, although qualification is not confirmed until the second leg is complete.

Kick-off is at 18:45 SAST.

Getafe take a 3-1 lead to Partizan

Getafe travel to Partizan holding a 3-1 first-leg advantage.

Partizan must overturn a two-goal deficit to stay in the competition, while Getafe can reach the league phase by protecting their aggregate lead.

The match begins at 21:00 SAST.

Which Conference League play-off ties are still level?

A significant number of Thursday’s matches remain finely balanced.

These ties begin the second leg level on aggregate:

• KuPS Kuopio vs Shamrock Rovers — 1-1
• Riga vs Klaksvík — 0-0
• Inter Club d’Escaldes vs Drita — 2-2
• Copenhagen vs Inter Turku — 0-0
• Raków vs Hajduk Split — 2-2
• Hradec Králové vs Panathinaikos — 2-2
• Brann vs PAOK — 1-1
• Pafos vs Dinamo City — 1-1
• Hapoel Tel-Aviv vs Atalanta — 0-0
• Brighton vs Tromsø — 0-0
• Hibernian vs Gent — 0-0

For those clubs, there is no first-leg advantage to defend. The second leg will determine who advances, with extra time and penalties possible if the aggregate score remains level after 90 minutes.

READ ALSO :UCL Third qualifying round

Which teams have first-leg advantages?

Several clubs enter Thursday’s matches ahead on aggregate.

Rangers, Qarabağ and Nordsjælland hold one-goal leads.

Lugano and Monaco also have narrow advantages, although their opponents remain within one goal of drawing level on aggregate.

Other teams have larger cushions:

• Borac lead Víkingur Reykjavík 3-1
• Larne lead Lincoln Red Imps 2-0
• Freiburg lead Motherwell 3-1
• Ajax lead Sion 4-2
• Braga lead Austria Wien 2-0
• Midtjylland lead Rijeka 2-0
• Getafe lead Partizan 3-1

Those clubs start in stronger positions, but the league-phase places are not confirmed until the second legs are completed.

How are the final 36 Conference League teams decided?

There are two routes into the 2026/27 Conference League league phase.

24 teams qualify by winning Conference League play-offs

There are 24 Conference League play-off ties in total.

The winner of each tie advances to the league phase.

Hearts have already secured one of those 24 places, leaving another 23 play-off winners to be confirmed.

The teams that lose these Conference League play-off ties are eliminated from European competition.

12 teams enter after losing Europa League play-offs

The other 12 league-phase places go to the clubs eliminated from the UEFA Europa League play-offs.

That means Thursday’s Europa League results also directly affect the final Conference League line-up.

For more on those ties, see SportPesa South Africa’s Europa League qualifying and play-off coverage.

Together, the 24 Conference League play-off winners and 12 Europa League play-off losers produce the final field:

24 + 12 = 36 Conference League teams.

Are there automatic qualifiers for the Conference League league phase?

No club qualifies directly for the 2026/27 Conference League league phase without going through UEFA’s wider qualifying system.

The final 36-team field is assembled from the 24 Conference League play-off winners and the 12 clubs transferring from the Europa League after losing their play-off ties.

That makes the final qualifying round especially important because the complete league-phase line-up is not known until the play-offs are finished.

When is the 2026/27 Conference League league-phase draw?

The Conference League league-phase draw takes place on Friday, 28 August 2026 at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.

For South African supporters, the draw begins at 13:00 SAST.

By then, the full list of 36 qualified teams will be known.

The draw will determine the six different opponents each club faces during the league phase.

Where can South African fans watch the Conference League draw?

UEFA will show the Conference League league-phase draw live and free on UEFA.com and UEFA.tv.

The ceremony takes place on Friday, 28 August.

Once the draw is completed, clubs will know their six opponents and whether each match is scheduled at home or away.

The exact Conference League fixtures, including match dates and kick-off times, will follow separately.

How does the Conference League league-phase draw work?

The Conference League uses a different league-phase draw structure from the Champions League and Europa League.

All 36 teams are placed into six seeding pots containing six clubs each.

Every team gets one opponent from each pot

Each club is drawn against:

• One team from Pot 1
• One team from Pot 2
• One team from Pot 3
• One team from Pot 4
• One team from Pot 5
• One team from Pot 6

That produces six different league-phase opponents.

Every club plays three home and three away matches

The pots are paired for home-and-away allocation:

• Pots 1 and 2
• Pots 3 and 4
• Pots 5 and 6

Within each pair of pots, a club plays one opponent at home and the other away.

Every team therefore finishes the draw with:

Six matches — three at home and three away.

Same-country restrictions apply

In principle, teams from the same national association cannot be drawn against each other during the league phase.

A club can also face a maximum of two opponents from any one other association, subject to UEFA’s draw conditions.

When will the Conference League fixtures be announced?

The draw will determine opponents and home-and-away status on Friday, but the complete match schedule is published separately.

UEFA says the Conference League fixture list, including match dates and kick-off times, will be communicated no later than Sunday, 30 August 2026.

That creates a clear sequence:

Conference League 2026/27 league-phase dates

The league phase consists of six matchdays from October to December.

Unlike the Champions League and Europa League, where clubs play eight league-phase games, each Conference League team plays six matches.

For wider European competition coverage, SportPesa South Africa also has a 2026/27 UEFA Champions League guide.

How does qualification from the Conference League league phase work?

All 36 clubs are ranked together in one league table after their six matches.

Each result contributes to the overall standings:

• A win earns three points
• A draw earns one point
• A defeat earns zero points

The final league position determines what happens next.

Teams finishing 1st to 8th

The top eight teams qualify directly for the round of 16.

Teams finishing 9th to 24th

Clubs finishing between ninth and 24th enter the knockout-phase play-offs.

The winners of those two-legged ties join the top eight in the round of 16.

Teams finishing 25th to 36th

The bottom 12 clubs are eliminated from European competition.

There is no transfer into another UEFA club competition.

Conference League 2026/27 key dates

The 2026/27 Conference League final will be played at Beşiktaş Park in Istanbul on 2 June 2027.

UEFA Conference League play-offs FAQs

Are all 36 Conference League teams confirmed?

No. Hearts had secured one of the Conference League play-off places before Thursday’s matches, while the remaining 23 Conference League ties and the 12 Europa League play-off outcomes still had to be completed.

How many teams qualify from the Conference League play-offs?

Twenty-four clubs qualify by winning their Conference League play-off ties.

What happens to teams that lose the Conference League play-offs?

Teams defeated in the Conference League play-offs are eliminated from European competition.

What happens to teams that lose the Europa League play-offs?

The 12 teams defeated in the Europa League play-offs enter the Conference League league phase.

How many teams play in the Conference League league phase?

There are 36 teams in the league phase.

When is the Conference League league-phase draw?

The draw takes place on Friday, 28 August 2026.

What time is the Conference League draw in South Africa?

The draw starts at 13:00 SAST.

Where can I watch the Conference League draw?

UEFA will show the draw live and free on UEFA.com and UEFA.tv.

How many teams are in each Conference League draw pot?

The 36 teams are divided into six pots of six clubs.

How many opponents does each Conference League team face?

Every club faces six different opponents, one from each pot.

How many league-phase matches does each team play?

Each team plays six matches — three at home and three away.

When will the Conference League fixtures be announced?

UEFA says the complete fixture schedule, including dates and kick-off times, will be communicated no later than Sunday, 30 August 2026.

When does the Conference League league phase start?

Matchday 1 takes place on 15 October 2026.

Where can I follow the Conference League play-off scores?

Fans can use SP Score to follow football scores, fixtures, match events and statistics throughout the European season.

READ ALSO: Serie A 2026/27 season preview

Conclusion

The UEFA Conference League play-offs reach their decisive point on Thursday, 27 August 2026, with 23 second legs still determining the final play-off winners after Hearts became the first club to qualify this week.

The 24 Conference League play-off winners will be joined by the 12 clubs eliminated from the Europa League play-offs to complete the 36-team league phase. Several ties remain level entering Thursday’s matches, while clubs including Rangers, Ajax, Freiburg, Braga, Midtjylland and Getafe begin with aggregate advantages.

Once the final Conference League qualified teams are confirmed, attention moves immediately to the league-phase draw on Friday, 28 August at 13:00 SAST. The exact Conference League fixtures and kick-off times will follow no later than 30 August before the league phase begins on 15 October.