The draw also featured several intriguing matchups for English sides: Aston Villa will meet Lille, a familiar French opponent while Nottingham Forest take on Danish outfit Midtjylland.
The draw for the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League Round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals was completed on Friday, 27 February 2026 in Nyon, Switzerland, setting up the knockout roadmap for Europe’s secondary club competition
Sixteen clubs remain in the hunt for continental glory after the draw revealed the following ties:
- Ferencváros vs Braga
- Panathinaikos vs Real Betis
- Genk vs Freiburg
- Celta Vigo vs Lyon
- Stuttgart vs Porto
- Nottingham Forest vs Midtjylland
- Bologna vs Roma
- Lille vs Aston Villa
This stage will be played over two legs, with first legs scheduled for 12 March and second legs on 19 March 2026.
The draw also featured several intriguing matchups for English sides: Aston Villa will meet Lille, a familiar French opponent while Nottingham Forest take on Danish outfit Midtjylland.
Quarter-final Bracket
UEFA released the projected quarter-final pairings based on the draw:
Winners of Ferencváros/Braga vs Panathinaikos/Real Betis
Winners of Genk/Freiburg vs Celta/Vigo/Lyon
Winners of Stuttgart/Porto vs Nottingham Forest/Midtjylland
Winners of Bologna/Roma vs Lille/Aston Villa
These ties will be played on 9 and 16 April 2026.
Semi-final Path
The semi-final draw places the quarter-final winners into two distinct matchups:
Top half winner (from Ferencváros/Braga/Panathinaikos/Real Betis vs Genk/Freiburg/Celta/Lyon)
Bottom half winner (from Stuttgart/Porto/Nottingham/Midtjylland vs Bologna/Roma/Lille/Aston Villa)
Semifinal legs are set for 30 April and 7 May 2026.
Road to the Final
The Europa League final will be staged at Beşiktaş Park in Istanbul on 20 May 2026, rounding off another thrilling European season.
With the draw now locked in, all eyes turn to mid‑March when these ties kick off, promising drama, tactical battles and the chance for underdog stories as clubs vie for a place at Europe’s showpiece in May.