The 2024–25 UEFA Conference League will be the fourth season of the
UEFA Conference League, Europe's tertiary club
football tournament organised by
UEFA.
This will be the first UEFA Conference League played under a new format involving a 36-team league stage.[1] The new format also does not allow teams to transfer from the Europa League to the Conference League knockout stage, and thus Conference League winners (
Olympiacos in the 2023–24 edition) cannot defend their title. From this season, the competition is renamed to UEFA Conference League from the UEFA Europa Conference League.[2]
A total of 166 teams from 54 of the 55
UEFA member associations are expected to participate in the 2024–25 UEFA Conference League. The association ranking based on the
UEFA association coefficients is used to determine the number of participating teams for each association:[4]
Associations 1–12 each have one team.
Associations 13–33 and 51–55 (except Russia)[Note RUS] each have two teams.
Associations 34–50 each have three teams (except Liechtenstein, which has one).[Note LIE]
For the 2024–25 UEFA Conference League, the associations are allocated places according to their 2023
UEFA association coefficients, which takes into account their performance in European competitions from 2018–19 to 2022–23.[5]
Apart from the allocation based on the association coefficients, associations may have additional teams participating in the Conference League, as noted below:
(UCL) – Additional teams transferred from the UEFA Champions League
(UEL) – Additional/vacated teams transferred from/to the UEFA Europa League
Association ranking for 2024–25 UEFA Conference League
21 domestic league runners-up from associations 34–55 (except Liechtenstein)[Note LIE]
20 domestic league third-placed teams from associations 30–50 (except Liechtenstein)[Note LIE]
Second qualifying round (98 teams)
Champions path (12 teams)
12 teams eliminated from Champions League first qualifying round
League path (86 teams)
13 domestic cup winners from associations 34–46
17 domestic league runners-up from associations 16–33 (except Russia)[Note RUS]
15 domestic league third-placed teams (except Olympiacos) [Note GRE] from associations 13–29 (except Russia)[Note RUS]
9 domestic league fourth-placed teams from associations 7–15
1 domestic league fifth-placed team from association 6
25 winners from the first qualifying round
6 teams eliminated from Europa League first qualifying round
Third qualifying round (60 teams)
Champions path (8 teams)
6 winners from the second qualifying round (Champions path)
2 teams eliminated from Champions League first qualifying round [Note UCL Q1]
League path (52 teams)
43 winners from the second qualifying round (League path)
9 teams eliminated from Europa League second qualifying round
Play-off round (48 teams)
Champions path (10 teams)
4 winners from the third qualifying round (Champions path)
6 teams eliminated from Europa League third qualifying round (Champions path)
League path (38 teams)
5 domestic league sixth-placed teams from associations 1–5 (EFL Cup winners for England)
26 winners from the third qualifying round (League path)
7 teams eliminated from Europa League third qualifying round (League path)
League stage (36 teams)
5 winners from the play-off round (Champions path)
19 winners from the play-off round (League path)
12 teams eliminated from Europa League play-off round
The information here reflects the ongoing suspension of Russia in European football, and so the following changes to the default access list have been made:
The cup winners of associations 39 to 44 (Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Luxembourg, Faroe Islands and Northern Ireland) will enter the second qualifying round instead of the first qualifying round.
As a result of corresponding changes to the Champions League access list, there will be one fewer loser from the Champions League first qualifying round transferred to the Conference League second qualifying round (Champions Path) so one transferred team will receive a bye to the third qualifying round (Champions Path).
As the
Champions League title holders (
Real Madrid) qualified for the Champions League via their domestic league's standard berth allocation, the following changes to the default access list have been made:
As a result of corresponding changes to the Champions League access list, there will be one fewer loser from the Champions League first qualifying round (two fewer in total) transferred to the Conference League second qualifying round (Champions Path) so one transferred team (two in total) will receive a bye to the third qualifying round (Champions Path).
As the
Conference League title holders (
Olympiacos) entered the
Europa League, the berth they qualified for via league position (Conference League second qualifying round) was vacated, and the following changes to the default access list have been made:
The cup winners of associations 45 (Malta) and 46 (Georgia) will enter the second qualifying round instead of the first qualifying round.
Teams
The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round:
CW: Domestic cup winners
2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, etc.: League position of the previous season
LC: League cup winners
RW: Regular season winners
PW: End-of-season Conference League play-offs winners
UCL: Transferred from the Champions League
Q1: Losers from the first qualifying round
UEL: Transferred from the Europa League
PO: Losers from the play-off round
CH/MP Q3: Losers from the third qualifying round (Champions/Main Path)
MP Q2: Losers from the second qualifying round (Main Path)
MP Q1: Losers from the first qualifying round (Main Path)
The second qualifying round, third qualifying round and play-off round are divided into Champions Path (CH) and Main Path (MP).
Qualified teams for 2024–25 UEFA Conference League
Champions League (UCL Q1): Two of the Champions League first qualifying round losers will be drawn to receive byes to the third qualifying round (Champions Path), as two fewer losers were transferred to the second qualifying round (Champions Path), due to Champions League league phase berths vacated following the Champions League Title Holders (Real Madrid) qualifying via league position and the suspension of Russia from the 2024–25 European season.
Albania (ALB):Skënderbeu, who finished 3rd in the
2023–24 Kategoria Superiore, are currently banned from entering UEFA competitions. As a result, their place in the competition was passed onto the 4th-placed team, Vllaznia. Since Egnatia, the winners of the Albanian cup finished in the top 4 spots, the fifth placed team, Tirana, is guaranteed a spot in the Conference League.
Latvia (LVA):Valmiera, who finished 4th in the
2023 Latvian Higher League, were denied a UEFA license. As a result, their place in the competition was passed onto the 5th-placed team, LiepÄja.
Luxembourg (LUX):Swift Hesperange, who finished second, were denied a UEFA license. Consequently, their place in the competition was passed onto the next highest-ranked team granted a UEFA licence by the
FLF,
UNA Strassen, who finished sixth.
Russia (RUS): On 28 February 2022, Russian football clubs and national teams were suspended from FIFA and UEFA competitions due to the
Russian invasion of Ukraine.[7] The tables reflect Russia's ongoing suspension from UEFA competitions.[8]
Schedule
The schedule of the competition is as follows.[9][1] Matches are scheduled for Thursdays, with an exclusive day of December 19, apart from the final, which takes place on a Wednesday, though exceptionally can take place on Tuesdays or Wednesdays due to scheduling conflicts.[10][11][12]
The draw for the first qualifying round will be held on 18 June 2024.
Seeding
A total of 50 teams will play in the first qualifying round. Seeding of the teams will be based on their
2024 UEFA club coefficients.[13] Before the draw, UEFA may form groups of seeded and unseeded teams per the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee. The first team drawn in each tie will be the home team for the first leg.
The draw for the second qualifying round will be held on 19 June 2024.
Seeding
A total of 98 teams will be involved in the second qualifying round – 12 in the Champions Path and 86 in the Main Path. There will be no seeding in the Champions Path draw. Seeding of the teams in the Main Path will be based on their
2024 UEFA club coefficients.[13] Before the draw, UEFA may form groups of seeded and unseeded teams per the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee. The first team drawn in each tie will be the home team for the first leg.
Champions Path
12 losers of the Champions League Champions Path first qualifying round[†]
†Losers of the Champions League first qualifying round, whose identity will not be known at the time of draw.
††Winners of the first qualifying round, whose identity will not be known at the time of draw.
†††Losers of the Europa League first qualifying round, whose identity will not be known at the time of draw.
Third qualifying round
The draw for the third qualifying round will be held on 22 July 2024.
Seeding
A total of 60 teams will play in the third qualifying round – eight in the Champions Path and 52 in the Main Path. There will be no seeding in the Champions Path draw. Seeding of the teams in the Main Path will be based on their
2024 UEFA club coefficients.[13] Before the draw, UEFA may form groups of seeded and unseeded teams per the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee. The first team drawn in each tie will be the home team for the first leg.
Champions Path
6 winners of the Champions Path second qualifying round[†]
2 losers of the Champions League Champions Path first qualifying round that received a bye
The draw for the play-off round will be held on 5 August 2024.
Seeding
A total of 48 teams will play in the third qualifying round – 10 in the Champions Path and 38 in the Main Path. In the Champions Path draw, the six losers of the Europa League third qualifying round will be seeded and the four winners of the Conference League third qualifying round will be unseeded. Seeding of the teams in the Main Path will be based on their
2024 UEFA club coefficients.[13] Before the draw, UEFA may form groups of seeded and unseeded teams per the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee. The first team drawn in each tie will be the home team for the first leg.