The stage is set for the third qualifying round of the 2025/2026 UEFA Champions League, following the official draw conducted on July 23. With Europe’s elite just a few steps away from the group stage, this round promises thrilling encounters and potential upsets.
Teams were drawn into two distinct routes: the Champions Path, for domestic league winners who didn’t qualify automatically for the group stage, and the League Path, for high-placed non-champions from top leagues.
Among the highlights in the Champions Path is a potential Nordic derby as FC RFS or Malmö FF could face Danish giants FC Copenhagen. Slovan Bratislava will await the winner of KuPS Kuopio vs Kairat Almaty, while Serbian powerhouse Crvena Zvezda could clash with Polish contenders Lech Poznań or Iceland’s Breidablik.
Other eye-catching ties include Ludogorets potentially squaring off against HNK Rijeka or Armenian side FC Noah, and a high-stakes face-off between FCSB or Shkëndija versus Azerbaijan’s Qarabağ or Shelbourne from Ireland.
In the League Path, fireworks are expected. OGC Nice has been handed a tough draw against Portuguese titans SL Benfica, while Dutch champions Feyenoord will face Turkish giants Fenerbahçe in what could be the round’s standout fixture. Rangers or Panathinaikos will take on the winner between Viktoria Plzeň and Servette, as Club Brugge awaits either SK Brann or FC Salzburg.
UEFA has scheduled the two-legged ties for August 5/6 (first leg) and August 12, 2025 (second leg), with qualification to the final playoff round at stake.
