Europa League draw: Start time, confirmed pots, qualified teams and how to watch

Bournemouth, Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Celtic take their place in the Europa League draw – which will be revealed later this afternoon.

Bournemouth have qualified for Europe for the first time in their history while Sunderland are back in a continental competition for the first time since 1974.

Crystal Palace will be bidding for more European glory after their victory in the Conference League last season, meaning there will be three Premier League sides involved.

Celtic, meanwhile, dropped into the Europa League after their embarrassing collapse against LASK in the Champions League play-off second leg on Tuesday night.

Juventus, AC Milan, Benfica, Bayer Leverkusen, Marseille, Lyon and Real Sociedad are the top European sides who the British teams could be drawn with in today’s draw.

And the Conference League draw – featuring Brighton and Heart of Midlothian – will follow later. Here are all the details.

When is the Europa League draw?

It will begin from 12pm BST on Friday 28 August. If the Champions League is anything to go by, the first ball could be drawn at around 12:30pm. The draw will be broadcast on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max in the United Kingdom, the joint host broadcasters in the UK of the Champions League alongside Prime Video. As with the past couple of seasons, the draw will arrange the eight matches each team contests in the 36-team first phase – facing two teams from pots one, two, three and four. Half of the matches will be at home, the other half away.

Confirmed Europa League pots

Pot 1

Leverkusen (GER)

Benfica (POR)

Juventus (ITA)

Milan (ITA)

Lyon (FRA)

AZ Alkmaar (NED)

Olympiacos (GRE)

Real Sociedad (ESP)

Marseille (FRA)

Pot 2

Ferencvaros (HUN)

Viktoria Plzen (CZE)

Union SG (BEL)

GNK Dinamo (CRO)

Salzburg (AUT)

Celtic (SCO)

Sparta Praha (CZE)

Rennes (FRA)

Anderlecht (BEL)

Pot 3

Sturm Graz (AUT)

Lech Poznan (POL)

Crystal Palace (ENG)

Bournemouth (ENG)

Sunderland (ENG)

Celje (SVN)

Jagiellonia (POL)

Omonia (CYP)

Celta (ESP)

Pot 4

Hoffenheim (GER)

Besiktas (TUR)

Torreense (POR)

H. Beer-Sheva (ISR)

N.E.C. (NED)

OFI Crete (GRE)

Lillestrøm (NOR)

Levski Sofia (BUL)

Ararat-Armenia (ARM)

Europa League match schedule

Matchday 1: 16/17 September 2026

Matchday 2: 15 October 2026

Matchday 3: 22 October 2026

Matchday 4: 5 November 2026

Matchday 5: 26 November 2026

Matchday 6: 10 December 2026

Matchday 7: 21 January 2027

Matchday 8: 28 January 2027

When is the Conference League draw?

The Conference League draw will follow the Europa League draw, so could be started at around 1pm BST. The draw will also be broadcast on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max.

Confirmed Conference League pots

Atalanta (ITA)

Braga (POR)

Ajax (NED)

Freiburg (GER)

Monaco (FRA)

Copenhagen (DEN)

Midtjylland (DEN)

Red Star Belgrade (SRB

Gent (BEL)

Panathinaikos (GRE)

Pafos (CYP)

Brighton & Hove Albion (ENG)

Lugano (SUI)

Getafe (ESP)

Finland KuPS (FIN)

Netherlands Twente (NED)

Lincoln Red Imps (GIB)

Borac Banja Luka (BOS)

Sint-Truiden (BEL)

Brann (NOR)

Heart of Midlothian (SCO)

Kairat (KAZ)

Trabzonspor (TUR)

U Craiova (ROM)

Pot 5

Riga (LAT)

Hajduk Split (CRO)

Jablonec (CZE)

Nordsjælland (DEN)

AGF (DEN)

Inter Club d'Escaldes (AND)

Pot 6

Thun (SUI)

CSKA Sofia (BUL)

Kauno Žalgiris (LIT)

Mjällby (SWE)