Crystal Palace are preparing for only the second major European campaign in the club’s history, with the Europa League set to introduce the Eagles to UEFA’s revised competition format.
The tournament now follows the ‘Swiss model’, which was introduced ahead of the 2024/25 season and remains in place this year. After the qualification and play-off rounds, 36 teams enter the league phase, where each club plays eight matches between 16/17 September and 28 January.
A draw held on Friday, 28 August determined Palace’s opponents in that opening phase. Each team meets eight different opponents, with no fixture repeated and clubs from the same national association kept apart. The opening matchday is spread over Wednesday and Thursday, while the other seven rounds are primarily scheduled for Thursdays.
Once those eight fixtures are complete, the league table will decide which teams advance and where they enter the knockout stage. The top eight qualify directly for the Round of 16, while teams finishing from ninth to 24th must contest a play-off. Clubs placed ninth to 16th are seeded and drawn against sides finishing between 17th and 24th. Teams in 25th place or lower are eliminated.
The eight play-off winners then join the top eight in the Round of 16. The Round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals are all played over two legs, with extra time and, if necessary, penalties used to settle level aggregate scores. Away goals are no longer a tiebreaker. The final is a single match at a neutral venue, with the 2026/27 showpiece scheduled for Frankfurt’s Waldstadion.
