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Ferencváros draws Juventus, AC Milan, Celtic, and Hoffenheim in Europa League league phase
The Hungarian champions earned their spot with a dominant 5-0 aggregate demolition of Trabzonspor in the play-offs
Ferencváros, Hungary’s most decorated football club, will face some of European football’s heaviest hitters after being drawn into the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League league phase. Juventus, AC Milan, Celtic, and TSG Hoffenheim are among the confirmed opponents for the Budapest-based side.
The draw was held on 28 August 2026 at 13:00 CET, slotting Ferencváros into a field of 36 teams.
How Ferencváros got here
Ferencváros dismantled Turkish side Trabzonspor across two legs in the play-off round, winning 5-0 on aggregate. The first leg, played away, ended 1-0. The second leg at home was a 4-0 performance.
The play-off ties ran from 20 August to 27 August 2026, and Ferencváros entered the league phase unbeaten across all European qualifying rounds this season, having also come through ties against Vojvodina, Twente, and Górnik Zabrze.
Ferencváros earned its Europa League berth by winning the Magyar Kupa in the previous season.
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The new format, explained
This edition of the Europa League operates under UEFA’s revamped competition structure. Gone is the traditional group stage. In its place: a single league phase table featuring all 36 qualified sides, each playing eight matches, four at home and four away, against different opponents. Only the top eight clubs advance directly to the knockout stages, with others entering a playoff bracket.
The league phase is set to run from September 2026 through January 2027.
The opponents that matter
Juventus and AC Milan occupy Pot 1. Celtic, placed alongside Ferencváros in Pot 2, and Hoffenheim from Pot 4, rounds out the confirmed opponents. Hoffenheim is backed by SAP co-founder Dietmar Hopp’s long-term investment.