Soccer
How do the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds work?
Watch the Champions League on DAZN - US, CA & NZ
Football has barely taken a breather after the events in North America, but the new season is already on the horizon, and for some, it's already begun.
If European football is the aim for 2026-27, there are those who begin their Champions League journeys way before we start thinking about league phases and theme songs.
The qualifying stages of European football's premier competition are already underway, and DAZN News is on hand to tell you how it all works.
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How do the qualifying stages of the Champions League work?
The start of the qualification process for the Champions League starts with three qualifying rounds and a play-off round.
- First qualifying round 7–8 July 2026/14–15 July 2026
- Second qualifying round 21–22 July 2026/28–29 July 2026
- Third qualifying round 4–5 August 2026/11 August 2026
- Play-off round 18–19 August 2026/25–26 August 2026
Each of the qualifying rounds are split into two halves, a Champions Path and a League Path.
Champions Path
The Champions Path includes all league champions which did not qualify directly for the league phase and consists of the following rounds.
- First qualifying round (28 teams): 28 teams enter this round.
- Second qualifying round (24 teams): 10 teams enter in this round, and 14 winners of the first qualifying round.
- Third qualifying round (12 teams): 12 winners of the second qualifying round.
- Play-off round (10 teams): 4 teams which enter this round, and 6 winners of the third qualifying round.
League Path
The League Path includes all league non-champions which did not qualify directly for the league phase, and consists of the following rounds:
- Second qualifying round (4 teams): 4 teams enter this round.
- Third qualifying round (8 teams): 6 teams enter this round, and 2 winners of the second qualifying round.
- Play-off round (4 teams): 4 winners of the third qualifying round.
What happens after the play-off round?
The seven winners of the play-off round—five from the Champions Path and two from the League Path—will advance to the league phase, where they will join the 29 teams.
That will then begin the Champions League League Phase proper, where 36 teams will make up the first stage of this season's competiton.
How to watch the Champions League on DAZN in Canada and New Zealand
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Canada: Watch every Champions League game with a DAZN subscription
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New Zealand: Watch every Champions League game with a DAZN subscription. Now with a special 25% flex offer, now just $23.99.
