On Wednesday, 26 August 2026, the second legs of the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 qualification playoff round saw several major events. Turkish side Fenerbahce beat French club Lyon 2:1 away from home and advanced to the main stage of Europe's premier club competition on aggregate (3:2). For Lyon, this defeat means elimination from the Champions League and a continuation of their European campaign in the Europa League. At the same time, Norwegian side Viking sensationally defeated Dinamo Zagreb (3:1) and reached the main stage of the Champions League for the first time in their long history, while Greece's AEK thrashed Levski Sofia 4:0, sealing their passage without much trouble after a goalless first leg.
Fenerbahce sends Lyon to the Europa League
The second leg between Lyon and Fenerbahce was played in France, with the tie level at 1:1 after the first match. The Turkish club, led by manager Fonseca, managed to turn the game around on the road and won 2:1. As a result, Fenerbahce prevailed 3:2 on aggregate over the two legs and earned a ticket to the main stage of the Champions League. For the French club, which in recent years had consistently been a contender for a place in UEFA's top tournament, this result was a serious blow: Lyon will continue their campaign in the Europa League, and their fans were left without the chance to see their team in the continent's premier club competition. In the photo, capturing a moment after the match, representatives of Lyon can be seen wearing the club's signature kit with the Olympique Lyonnais badge.
Viking reach the Champions League for the first time in history
The main sensation of the qualification playoff round was the victory of Norwegian side Viking over Dinamo Zagreb. After a goal-fest 2:2 draw in the first leg in Croatia, the Norwegians closed out the tie at home, winning 3:1. The goals in the second leg were scored by: Tripic from a penalty (18th minute), Austbo (48th minute) and Moi (50th minute) for Viking; for Dinamo, Honza scored (10th minute). This result was historic for the Norwegian club: Viking reached the main stage of the Champions League for the first time in their history, becoming one of the main heroes of the 2026/27 qualification round.
AEK and Slovan secure their places in the main stage
Greece's AEK left no chance for Levski Sofia at home, thrashing them 4:0. After a goalless draw in the first leg in Bulgaria, the Greek team fully controlled the second leg and confidently sealed their passage to the main stage of the Champions League. In parallel, Slovakia's Slovan played their second leg against Slovenia's Celje. Yaya Toure's team, missing the injured Nikolai Kucharevich, failed to solve the task in normal time — the match ended 1:1. However, in extra time, on the 100th minute, Christian Martinez scored the decisive goal, sending Slovan into the Champions League. Celje, accordingly, dropped into the Europa League. It is worth noting that on the 106th minute, Daniil Ignatenko came on as a substitute for Martinez, the scorer of the winning goal.
Ukrainian footballers in Europe's premier tournament
Among the qualified teams there are representatives of the Ukrainian football contingent. AEK features Ukrainian winger Oleksandr Zubkov, who has earned the chance to play in the main stage of the Champions League. In the second leg against Levski, Zubkov came on as a substitute in the 81st minute; he did not register any goal contributions, but his participation in the tournament is now guaranteed. Slovan also lists Ukrainian midfielder Daniil Ignatenko, who made his debut in extra time against Celje. The third Ukrainian footballer linked to this round is Nikolai Kucharevich, who, due to injury, was unable to help Slovan in the second leg, although his team still advanced to the Champions League. Thus, all three Ukrainian players have kept or gained the chance to compete in Europe's premier club competition in the 2026/27 season.
Context: who else reached the main stage
The day before, on 25 August, Tuesday's matches also determined three participants in the main stage of the Champions League, and those encounters, according to sources, featured sensational outcomes. Taken together with Wednesday's results, the picture of the 2026/27 qualification round looks extremely unpredictable: big clubs with a rich European pedigree are losing to teams from less decorated leagues, while Norway's Viking and Slovakia's Slovan continue to write their own chapters in Champions League history. The main stage of the tournament, in which Fenerbahce, Viking, AEK and Slovan will now compete, kicks off in the coming weeks.
