UEFA Europa League 2025-26: All 36 Teams, Top Players, and Statistics

By Tactiq AI · 2026-05-19 · 18 min read · AI & Football

The UEFA Europa League is Europe's second-tier club football competition, providing continental pathway for clubs outside Champions League qualification. The 2024+ league-phase format expanded the competition to 36 clubs in a single league table, mirroring the UCL structure. This guide walks through all 36 expected 2025-26 participants, their most prominent players, their honours, and statistical profiles.

Team lineups reflect squad status as of mid-2026. Match-day starting elevens are the manager's choice and shift across the season based on rotation, injuries, and tactical requirements.

The format

36 clubs in a single league phase.
8 matches per side against 8 different opponents.
Top 8 advance directly to R16.
Positions 9-24 enter the knockout playoff round.
Positions 25-36 eliminated.
Winner qualifies for next season's Champions League.

The 36 clubs

Pot 1 (Top-seeded clubs by UEFA coefficient)

Ajax (Netherlands), Eredivisie

Historical UCL semifinalist. 1 Europa League title (1991-92). Squad: Brian Brobbey, Kenneth Taylor, Steven Berghuis, Josip Šutalo, Jorrel Hato.

AS Roma (Italy), Serie A

Conference League winners 2021-22. Squad: Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Evan Ndicka, Artem Dovbyk (legacy), Bryan Cristante.

Real Sociedad (Spain), La Liga

Regular Europa League participant. Squad: Mikel Oyarzabal, Takefusa Kubo, Luka Sučić, Álex Remiro, Nayef Aguerd.

Olympique de Marseille (France), Ligue 1

UEL semifinalists 2017-18. Squad: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (legacy), Mason Greenwood, Adrien Rabiot (legacy), Luis Henrique.

FC Porto (Portugal), Primeira Liga

UEL specialists historical. Squad: Galeno, Wendell, Evanilson, Alan Varela, Pepê.

Villarreal (Spain), La Liga

1 Europa League title (2020-21). Squad: Yeremy Pino, Alex Baena, Gerard Moreno, Eric Bailly, Francis Coquelin.

Atalanta (Italy), Serie A

1 Europa League title (2023-24) under Gasperini. Squad: Ademola Lookman, Marten de Roon, Charles De Ketelaere, Juan Musso, Isak Hien.

Feyenoord (Netherlands), Eredivisie

1 UCL title (1969-70); regular UEL participant. Squad: Santiago Giménez, Ibrahim Osman, Quinten Timber, Bart Nieuwkoop, Igor Paixão.

Lazio (Italy), Serie A

UEL participants. Squad: Ciro Immobile (legacy), Matías Vecino, Mattia Zaccagni, Nicolò Rovella, Valentín Castellanos.

Olympiacos (Greece), Super League

Conference League winners 2023-24. Squad: Ayoub El Kaabi, Daniel Podence, Chiquinho, Tasos Bakasetas, Santiago Hezze.

Pot 2 (Mid-seeded clubs)

Hoffenheim (Germany), Bundesliga

European regulars. Squad: Haris Tabaković, Oliver Baumann, Anton Stach, Kevin Akpoguma.

Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany), Bundesliga

UEL winners 2021-22. Squad: Hugo Ekitike, Omar Marmoush, Mario Götze, Ellyes Skhiri, Robin Koch.

Tottenham Hotspur (England), Premier League

Regular European participant. Squad: Son Heung-min, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero.

Union Saint-Gilloise (Belgium), Pro League

Modern risers. Squad: Kevin Mac Allister, Mohammed Fuseini, Charles Vanhoutte, Anouar Ait El Hadj.

Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine), Premier League

UEL regulars despite fixture disruption. Squad: Heorhiy Sudakov (legacy), Ruslan Neshcheret, Volodymyr Shepelev.

Besiktas (Turkey), Süper Lig

European regulars. Squad: Cenk Tosun, Rafa Silva, Gedson Fernandes, Rashica, Mert Günok.

FC Twente (Netherlands), Eredivisie

Rising Dutch club. Squad: Ricky van Wolfswinkel, Sem Steijn, Manfred Ugalde, Lars Unnerstall.

AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands), Eredivisie

Regular European participant. Squad: Jordy Clasie, Denso Kasius, Sven Mijnans, Sem Steijn.

Pot 3

Galatasaray (Turkey), Süper Lig

Regular European participant. Squad: Mauro Icardi, Dries Mertens, Lucas Torreira, Kerem Aktürkoğlu (legacy), Victor Osimhen.

Fenerbahçe (Turkey), Süper Lig

Regular European participant. Squad: Edin Džeko, Fred, Diego Rossi, Dusan Tadic (legacy), Szymon Marciniak.

Rangers (Scotland), Premiership

UEL finalists 2021-22. Squad: Todd Cantwell, Vaclav Cerny, Cyriel Dessers (partial), Nicolas Raskin.

Qarabag (Azerbaijan), Premier League

UEL group-stage regulars. Squad: Abdellah Zoubir, Marko Vesovic, Nariman Akhundzade.

Slavia Prague (Czech), First League

Regular European participant. Squad: Václav Jurečka, Lukáš Provod, Igoh Ogbu.

Viktoria Plzen (Czech), First League

UEL group stage regulars. Squad: Pavel Šulc, Lukáš Hejda, Rafiu Durosinmi.

Braga (Portugal), Primeira Liga

Regular European participant. Squad: Rodrigo Zalazar, Álvaro Djaló, Sikou Niakaté, Niakhaté Fall.

Pot 4

FCSB (Romania), SuperLiga

Regular European participant. Squad: Florinel Coman, Valentin Crețu, Darius Olaru.

Ludogorets (Bulgaria), First League

UEL group regulars. Squad: Rick, Brazilian domestic mixes.

Paok (Greece), Super League

Regular European participant. Squad: Stefan Schwab, Vieirinha (legacy role), Tasos Douvikas.

Malmö FF (Sweden), Allsvenskan

Regular Nordic European representative. Squad: Søren Rieks, Ema Boateng, Lasse Nielsen.

Midtjylland (Denmark), Superliga

Regular Conference+Europa League participant. Squad: Anders Dreyer, Oliver Sørensen, Jonas Lössl.

Bodø/Glimt (Norway), Eliteserien

UEL regulars. Strong recent European run. Squad: Ola Solbakken (legacy), Hugo Vetlesen, Alfons Sampsted.

FC Basel (Switzerland), Super League

UEL regulars. Squad: Frei, Zhegrova, Eduardo.

Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel), Ligat Ha'al

Regular European participant. Squad: Dor Peretz, Dan Biton, Ofir Davidzada.

HJK Helsinki (Finland), Veikkausliiga

Nordic European participant. Squad: Benjamin Källman, Adam Ståhl, Jakub Skrzypczak.

Linfield (Northern Ireland), Irish Premiership

Regular qualifier participant. Squad: Kirk Millar, Joel Cooper, Stephen Fallon.

Qualifying-round participants

Various clubs from smaller-coefficient leagues fill remaining slots depending on qualifier outcomes. These typically include clubs from Cyprus, Moldova, Armenia, Belarus, Kosovo, Macedonia, Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Statistical context for 2025-26

League-phase average goals per match: ~2.9 (slightly lower than UCL).

Average xG per team per match: 1.2-1.4.

Home advantage: ~53-56% win rate (similar to UCL).

Knockout variance: higher than UCL because quality gaps compress through rotation and style variance.

How Tactiq reads Europa League fixtures

Every match receives the full framework: probability triples with confidence indicator, expected goals, recent-form trends, written tactical analysis naming rotation signals and motivation context.

The confidence indicator widens specifically for Europa League fixtures because:

Quality gaps between participating clubs are wider
Squad rotation is heavier than UCL
Motivation variance between clubs is greater (some prioritize, others don't)

The takeaway

UEFA Europa League 2025-26 features 36 clubs across a league-phase format, with familiar European powers meeting smaller-market clubs chasing the Champions League pathway. Sevilla's legacy continues as most-decorated club; clubs like Atalanta, Frankfurt, Leverkusen have recent trophy wins; smaller clubs like Olympique de Marseille, Roma, Ajax compete for continental relevance.

Tactiq covers every Europa League fixture with probability triples, confidence indicators, expected goals, and plain-language analysis. 1,200-plus competitions in total coverage, 32-language localisation, free tier of eight analyses per day, no credit card required.

Companion reads: UCL teams cornerstone for the tier above, UEL/UECL tactical guide for match-reading habits, the featured leagues cornerstone for the broader league picture.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many teams play in the Europa League 2025-26?

36 clubs in the league-phase format. Each team plays 8 matches against 8 different opponents. Top 8 advance directly to the round of 16; positions 9-24 enter a playoff round.

Which clubs are the most successful in Europa League history?

Sevilla holds 7 Europa League titles, most in history. Internazionale, Juventus, Liverpool, Atlético Madrid, Porto, Chelsea have 3-4 titles each. The competition has seen widely varied winners over the decades.

Does Europa League qualification come from domestic cup wins too?

Yes. Europa League slots go to: top-4 finishers from strong UEFA associations beyond Champions League spots, domestic cup winners of various leagues, and clubs finishing 5th-6th in top-tier leagues.

Does Tactiq cover every Europa League match?

Yes. All UEL league-phase and knockout-round matches receive full analysis with probability triples, confidence indicators, expected goals, and tactical context. 1,200-plus competitions in total coverage.

Why is UEL considered a strong route to Champions League?

Because the Europa League winner automatically qualifies for the next season's Champions League. This creates a high-stakes knockout path where a smaller club can rise through continental competition and earn UCL inclusion, as multiple clubs have done across the last decade.

Are there tactical differences between UEL and UCL matches?

Yes. UEL matches see heavier squad rotation from top clubs who prioritize domestic league and UCL qualification. Quality gaps between participating clubs are wider than in UCL. Knockout variance is comparable to UCL but with different top-favourite dynamics.