The 36 clubs competing in the main phase of the 2026-27 UEFA Europa League season have been confirmed and divided into four seeding pots ahead of the official group draw, Lenta.ru correspondent Vladislav Utkin reported.
The official draw ceremony for the main stage of the tournament is scheduled to take place on August 28 at 14:00 Moscow time.
Defending champions Aston Villa captured the Europa League title last season. The English Premier League club secured the trophy after defeating German side Freiburg 3-0 in the final.
Under UEFA rules, the main phase features 36 clubs competing in a single league table format rather than traditional group stages. Before the draw, all participating teams were allocated into four separate seeding tiers based on their club coefficient rankings.
Top Seeds in Pot 1
Pot 1 contains nine of the highest-ranked teams in the competition, featuring major clubs from across Western Europe. German side Bayer Leverkusen and Portuguese team Benfica head the top tier alongside Italian clubs Juventus and Milan.
French football is represented in the first pot by Lyon and Marseille. Netherlands club AZ Alkmaar, Greek team Olympiacos, and Spanish side Real Sociedad complete the Pot 1 line-up.
Challenging Contenders in Pot 2
The second seeding pot features former continental champions and regular European participants. French club Rennes and Scottish side Celtic headline Pot 2 alongside Austrian team Salzburg and Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb.
Belgian football features two clubs in the second tier, with both Union and Anderlecht allocated to Pot 2. Czech Republic teams Sparta Prague and Viktoria Plzen, together with Hungarian club Ferencvaros, round out the second group.
Competitive Field in Pot 3
Pot 3 includes three representatives from the English Premier League. Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, and Sunderland have all been placed in the third seeding tier, joined by Spanish side Celta.
Polish football has two representatives in the third pot, with both Lech and Jagiellonia included. Austrian club Sturm, Slovenian side Celje, and Cypriot team Omonia complete the Pot 3 line-up.
Final Contenders in Pot 4
The fourth and final seeding pot features German Bundesliga club Hoffenheim and Turkish side Besiktas. Israeli team Hapoel Beer Sheva and Dutch club NEC are also positioned in Pot 4.
Portuguese side Torreense and Greek team OFI feature in the final pot, alongside Norwegian club Lillestrom, Bulgarian team Levski, and Armenian outfit Ararat-Armenia.
Draw Schedule and Next Steps
The official draw on August 28 will determine the fixtures for all 36 teams in the expanded league phase. The proceedings are scheduled to begin at 14:00 Moscow time.
