UEFA Youth League domestic champions path latest

The UEFA Youth League domestic champions path has begun with the first round running until Wednesday 14 October.

In all, 50 clubs enter the tournament in this path, with ten teams eventually due to emerge to join the top 22 sides in the UEFA Champions League path in the round of 32. Twenty clubs are taking part in the ten first-round ties, and the winners of those contests join the 30 teams beginning in the second round.

In Wednesday's first legs, there was victory for HJK Helsinki, who made it from this stage to the last 16 in 2025/26. The Finnish side gained a comfortable win against debutants Ballkani thanks to an Ahti Haikala hat-trick while Antonio Arapović scored four as Zrinjski Mostar defeated Lincoln Red Imps. Vakaris Berenta's treble proved crucial for Žalgiris, his third sealing a 4-3 win at newcomers Thór, who had levelled from 3-1 down with two goals in the previous four minutes.

North Macedonia's AP Brera Strumica and debutants Cadiff Met of Wales both registered their nations' first-ever victories in this competition and there were also wins for two more maiden entrants, Flora and Partizani, while another, Super Nova, drew 0-0 at Cliftonville. In Tuesday's sole match Kairat Almaty won 5-0 at Mladost Donja Gorica, who are also making their first appearance.

Antonio Arapović (No9) scored four for Zrinjski Mostar against Lincoln Red ImpsHŠK Zrinjski Mostar

The first legs conclude on Saturday 10 October with Dinamo Tbilisi playing Dinamo-Minsk, and the returns are the following Tuesday and Wednesday. The bracket for all three two-legged rounds was set by the draw on 1 September; among those awaiting in the second round are former champions AZ Alkmaar, Benfica, Chelsea and Salzburg.

First round

All times CET

First legs

Saturday 10 October:

Dinamo Tbilisi vs Dinamo-Minsk (19:00)

Wednesday 16 September:

FC Santa Coloma 0-3 AP Brera Strumica 
Zrinjski Mostar 6-0 Lincoln Red Imps 
Thór 3-4 Žalgiris 
Flora 3-0 HB
HJK Helsinki 6-0 Ballkani
Valletta 0-2 Partizani
Cliftonville 0-0 Super Nova
Cardiff Met 4-0 UNA Strassen

Tuesday 15 September:

Mladost Donja Gorica 0-5 Kairat Almaty

Second legs

Tuesday 13 October:

Lincoln Red Imps vs Zrinjski Mostar (18:00, first leg: 0-6)

Wednesday 14 October:

Kairat Almaty vs Mladost Donja Gorica (12:00, first leg: 5-0)
Ballkani vs HJK Helsinki (14:00, first leg: 0-6)
Partizani vs Valletta (14:00, first leg: 2-0)
Dinamo-Minsk vs Dinamo Tbilisi (14:00)
AP Brera Strumica vs FC Santa Coloma (15:00, first leg: 3-0)
Super Nova vs Cliftonville (17:00, first leg: 0-0)
Žalgiris vs Thór (18:00, first leg: 4-3)
UNA Strassen vs Cardiff Met (19:30, first leg: 0-4)
HB vs Flora (20:00, first leg: 0-3)

• Ballkani, Cardiff Met, Flora, Mladost Donja Gorica, Partizani, Super Nova, Thór and UNA Strassen are making their UEFA Youth League debuts in the first round. It is Mladost Donja Gorica and Super Nova's first club appearances in any UEFA competition.
• AP Brera Strumica, Cliftonville, FC Santa Coloma and Havnar Bóltfelag are also aiming to get through a UEFA Youth League round for the first time.
• Dinamo-Minsk and HJK Helsinki both reached the knockout phase from the domestic champions path first round last season. Each lost to eventual semi-finalists Paris Saint-Germain, Dinamo-Minsk in the last 32 and HJK in the round of 16 (after beating Manchester City on penalties to get there).

Second round (28 October & 4 November)

• In the second round, Clermont, Göztepe, Hradec Králové and Stabæk make competition debuts. It is Clermont's first club appearance in any UEFA competition.
• Clermont are the 15th different French entrants, moving them one ahead of Germany as the nation with the most distinct entries over the 13 editions.
• Also starting in the second round are two-time champions Chelsea, fellow past victors AZ Alkmaar, Benfica and Salzburg. AZ and Salzburg have won this competition after starting in the domestic champions path. Chelsea also reached the final from this path in 2018/19.
• Benfica maintain their record of entering in all 13 editions. In the first leg, Benfica will play their 100th game in this competition. Only Real Madrid have previously reached this mark; Atlético de Madrid and Barcelona will also be bringing up a century on Matchday 3 of the league phase.
• Bravo, Fiorentina, Hammarby, Pafos, Qarabağ and St. Patrick's Athletic are aiming to get through a stage of this competition for the first time.
• Dynamo Kyiv successfully came through this path for the fourth time last season. AZ, Legia and Žilina also came through this path and both reached the round of 16.

Third round (25 November & 9 December)

UEFA Youth League knockout calendar

Round of 32 draw: 11 December, Nyon
Round of 32: 2/3 February
Knockout draw (round of 16 onwards): 5 February, Nyon
Round of 16: 23/24 February
Quarter-finals: 16/17 March
Semi-finals: 16 April
Final: 19 April