Aston Villa
The UEFA Europa League 2026/27 group stage will be available here as soon as the calendar kicks off. Check back later.
About the Europa League 2025/26 simulator
The UEFA Europa League is the continent's second club competition, ranking just below the Champions League. Since 2024/25 it has used the league-phase format: 36 teams in a single table, each playing eight matches. The top eight go straight to the round of 16, while the sides finishing 9th to 24th meet in a knockout play-off.
With this simulator you take charge of the decisive stage: fill the bracket from the round of 16 to the single-match final. Every tie is settled over two legs on aggregate and, if the scores are level, you decide who advances on penalties all the way to lifting the trophy.
How to simulate the Europa League
- 1Gather the 16 round-of-16 clubs: the eight league-phase leaders and the eight survivors of the 9th-to-24th play-off.
- 2Settle each tie over two legs by logging both the home and away result, or hand the tie to the winner with a single click.
- 3The simulator adds the aggregate of the two legs; if they finish level, you call the penalty shootout yourself (no extra time first).
- 4String together the quarter-finals, semi-finals and single-match final, and crown the champion who earns a place in next season's Champions League.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Europa League winner gain?
On top of lifting Europe's second-tier trophy, the champion secures a spot in the following season's Champions League.
Why do only 16 teams reach the round of 16 if 36 play the league phase?
The top eight of the table go straight through, while places 9 to 24 contest a two-legged play-off; everyone from 25th down is knocked out.
Is there extra time if a tie ends level?
Not in this simulator: once the aggregate is level after the second leg, the tie goes straight to the penalty shootout you decide.
How does it differ from the Champions League?
It is Europe's second tier and gathers clubs that did not make the Champions League; the league-phase format is shared, but here each team plays eight matches for a different trophy.
Is the final two-legged as well?
No. The rounds from the round of 16 to the semi-finals are two-legged, but the title is decided in a single match at a neutral venue.