The 2025/26 UEFA Conference League league phase concluded on 18 December 2025, with 24 teams qualifying for the knockout stage. The top eight finishers secured direct spots in the round of 16, while teams from ninth to 24th will compete in play-offs. This marks the progression to the competition's decisive phase, culminating in the final on 27 May 2026 in Leipzig.
The league phase of the 2025/26 UEFA Conference League wrapped up after six matchdays, starting on 2 October 2025. On the final matchday, 18 December, key results confirmed the qualifiers: Mainz defeated Samsunspor 2-0 to hold seventh place; Sparta Praha beat Aberdeen 3-0 for fourth; AEK Athens edged Universitatea Craiova 3-2 to stay third; AEK Larnaca won 1-0 against Shkëndija for eighth; Strasbourg triumphed 3-1 over Breidablik to top the table; Rayo Vallecano crushed Drita 3-0 for fifth; Raków edged Omonoia 1-0 for second; and Shakhtar Donetsk drew 0-0 with Rijeka for sixth.
The top eight—Strasbourg (FRA, 1st), Raków (POL, 2nd), AEK Athens (GRE, 3rd), Sparta Praha (CZE, 4th), Rayo Vallecano (ESP, 5th), Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR, 6th), Mainz (GER, 7th), and AEK Larnaca (CYP, 8th)—advance directly to the round of 16 on 12 and 19 March 2026. Notable performers include Strasbourg, reaching the spring phase for the first time since 2005/06, and Shakhtar, debuting after a strong Champions League showing.
The play-off contenders, finishing ninth to 24th, include Lausanne-Sport (SUI, 9th), Lech Poznań (POL, 11th), Samsunspor (TUR, 12th), Celje (SLO, 13th), AZ Alkmaar (NED, 14th), Fiorentina (ITA, 15th), Rijeka (CRO, 16th), Jagiellonia (POL, 17th), Omonoia (CYP, 18th), Noah (ARM, 19th), Drita (KOS, 20th), KuPS Kuopio (FIN, 21st), Shkëndija (MKD, 22nd), Zrinjski (BIH, 23rd), and Sigma Olomouc (CZE, 24th). Standouts like Fiorentina, twice runners-up, and debutants such as Crystal Palace (ENG, 10th) add depth. Play-offs are set for 19 and 26 February 2026, with winners joining the round of 16.
This diverse lineup features clubs from 16 nations, blending established European forces with emerging sides like Drita, the first Kosovan team to reach this stage.