2026/27 UEL draw: Fixtures for AC Milan, Benfica, Real Sociedad (full list)

The 2026/27 UEFA Europa League league-phase draw has produced several intriguing fixtures and AC Milan, Benfica and Real Sociedad are among the clubs discovering their opponents for the new European campaign.

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The draw was held in Monaco on Friday, August 28, 2026, with 36 clubs placed into a single league table under UEFA’s current competition format.

Each team will play 8 matches against 8 different opponents, with 4 games at home and 4 away. Clubs face 2 opponents from each of the 4 seeding pots.

AC Milan have been handed an eye-catching schedule that includes a meeting with Portuguese giants Benfica. The Italian club will also face Premier League sides Bournemouth and Sunderland, giving them a taste of English opposition during the league phase.

Milan will host Benfica, Sunderland, Ararat-Armenia and Ferencvaros while their away fixtures include trips to Olympiacos, Salzburg, Bournemouth and Levski Sofia.

Benfica were among the 36 teams confirmed for the league phase and were placed in Pot 1 alongside Milan, Juventus, Bayer Leverkusen, Lyon, Marseille, Olympiacos, AZ Alkmaar and Real Sociedad.

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On the part of Real Sociedad, the Spanish team qualified directly for the league phase and will face a mixture of established European teams and clubs from across the continent. 

Their draw includes a meeting with reigning Conference League winners Crystal Palace, while Bournemouth is another Premier League opponent in their schedule. Juventus will likely prove a tougher opponent for them

The presence of several major clubs has added considerable interest to this season's competition. Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus, AC Milan, Benfica, Lyon, Marseille, Real Sociedad and Olympiacos were all placed in Pot 1, meaning a number of highly regarded sides will be competing for progression to the knockout rounds.

Among the fixtures attracting particular attention is Milan's meeting with Benfica, while Real Sociedad's clashes with Crystal Palace. 

The league phase is scheduled to begin on September 16 and 17, 2026, with the final round of league-phase matches taking place on January 28, 2027. The knockout phase play-offs are scheduled for February, while the final will be played in Frankfurt on May 26, 2027.

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The top eight teams in the league-phase standings will advance directly to the round of 16. Teams finishing from ninth to 24th will enter the knockout phase play-offs, while those finishing from 25th to 36th will be eliminated from the competition.