The 2026/27 UEFA Conference League qualifying stage is now underway, marking the initial phase of UEFA's third-tier club competition. While the first qualifying round matches began on July 7, 2026, attention is now turning to the second round, where several prominent clubs, including two from Ukraine, are set to make their European debuts or continue their continental campaigns.
Ukrainian representatives LNZ Cherkasy and Polissya Zhytomyr are poised to enter the fray in the second qualifying round. LNZ Cherkasy, who secured a commendable second-place finish in the 2025/26 Ukrainian Premier LeagueCompetition·Premier League, will embark on their historic European journey against Belgian club KAA Gent. Their first leg is scheduled for July 23, 2026, with LNZ Cherkasy hosting the match at Tsentralnyi StadiumVenue·Tsentralnyi Stadium in Cherkasy, Ukraine. The club's recent domestic form includes a 1-0 victory against Obolon and consecutive 0-0 draws against Dynamo KyivTeam·Dynamo Kyiv and KarpatyTeam·Karpaty, demonstrating a resilient defensive structure.
Polissya Zhytomyr, having finished third in the 2025/26 Ukrainian Premier LeagueCompetition·Premier League, will face Danish side FC Copenhagen in their second qualifying round tie. Their initial fixture is also slated for July 23, 2026. Polissya's recent league performances saw them secure a 2-0 win over Rukh LvivTeam·Rukh Lviv and a 0-0 draw against ZoryaTeam·Zorya, indicating a solid foundation as they approach European competition.
Adding another layer of Ukrainian interest, Dynamo KyivTeam·Dynamo Kyiv, the winner of the 2025/26 Ukrainian CupCompetition·Ukrainian Cup, began their European season in the UEFA Europa LeagueCompetition·Europa League first qualifying round. Should Dynamo KyivTeam·Dynamo Kyiv fail to advance past their Europa LeagueCompetition·Europa League opponent, Universitatea Cluj from Romania, they would then drop into the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round. In such a scenario, they would face Norwegian side BrannTeam·Brann. Dynamo KyivTeam·Dynamo Kyiv has confirmed that their nominally home European matches for the 2026/27 season will be played at Arena Lublin in Lublin, Poland. The club finished fourth in the 2025/26 Ukrainian Premier LeagueCompetition·Premier League.
The second qualifying round first legs are set for July 23, 2026, with the decisive return legs scheduled for July 30, 2026. The UEFA Conference League operates without direct entries into its league phase; all 36 participating teams must navigate through the qualifying rounds. The winners of the 2026/27 UEFA Conference League will earn an automatic berth in the 2027/28 UEFA Europa LeagueCompetition·Europa League league phase, unless they have already secured qualification for the Champions League or Europa LeagueCompetition·Europa League through their domestic league performance, as reported by Ukrinform.
Referee shows a yellow card to LNZ Cherkasy defender Nazarii Muravskyi during a match against Dynamo Kyiv. NurPhoto/IMAGO
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