The Cyprus Cup Final was the trigger that finalized the battlefield for the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League season. Now, fans and analysts have the final lists of participants for the first two qualifying rounds, and most importantly, the distribution of strength in the pots for the draw.
Kyiv's Dynamo enters this tournament from the first stage. For the blue-and-whites, this means a starting position as a 'seeded' club. However, there is an important nuance here: the team's current coefficient (17.500) allows them to occupy a privileged spot only at the start. If Dynamo wins in the first round, this figure will no longer be sufficient to maintain 'seeded' status in the second qualifying round. The competition for places in the top pot will become much fiercer.
Balance of Power in the First Qualification
In the first pot of the first qualifying round, powerful European teams can already be seen. Hungarian Ferencváros leads with a coefficient of 51.250, followed by Azerbaijani Qarabağ (42.750). Moldovan Sheriff closes the top three with a score of 20.000, with the Kyiv team following immediately after them.
Among the other participants in the first pot, Croatian Hajduk (10.000) and Bulgarian CSKA (6.500) stand out. In the second pot, conversely, teams with more modest figures are represented: Slovak Žilina, Serbian Vojvodina, Romanian Universitatea, and other teams from Slovenia, Ireland, and Iceland.
Scenarios for the Second Qualification
The draw for the second stage will be held on the same day as the first, but the logic of pairing will change. Here, the highest coefficients of possible winners of the first round will be taken into account.
In the top pot of the second stage, Portuguese Benfica dominates with an impressive coefficient of 90.000. They are followed by Ferencváros (or their opponent), Czech Viktoria, and Danish Midtjylland. PAOK, Qarabağ, Maccabi, and Anderlecht are also in the elite.
The second pot of the second round looks no less interesting. Winners of the first stage, such as Sheriff or Kyiv's Dynamo, could end up here. Their potential opponents include Beşiktaş, Twente, Hajduk, and other strong teams from Norway, Switzerland, and Bulgaria.
Event Calendar
All cards will be revealed on June 17, when the official draw for both qualifying rounds will take place. First-stage matches are scheduled for July 9 and 16, while the decisive matches of the second round will be held on July 23 and 30. For Dynamo, this will be a test of strength, where every step can change the balance of power in the seeded pot.