Six teams will qualify for the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League group stage via qualifying – who’s involved, how does it work and when do the matches take place? Let UEFA.com explain.
Champions League qualifying schedule
Third qualifying round: 2/3 & 9 August
Play-offs: 16/17 & 23/24 August
Third qualifying round
Teams involved (20)
Champions course (12): 2 automatic entrants, 10 second qualifying round winners
League Path (8): 6 automatic entries, 2 winners of the second qualifying round
To draw
The draw for the third qualifying round took place on Monday 18 July.
Calendar (August 2/3 & 9)
Champions course
Maccabi Haifa (ISR) vs Apollon Limassol (CYP)
Qarabağ (AZE) vs Ferencvaros (HUN)
Ludogorets (BUL) vs Dinamo Zagreb (CRO): (first leg) 1-2
Sheriff (MDA) v Viktoria Pilsen (CZE): 1-2
Bodø/Glimt (NOR) – Zalgiris (LTU)
Crvena zvezda (SRB) vs Pyunik (ARM)
league path
Monaco (FRA) v PSV Eindhoven (NED): 1-1
Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) vs Sturm Graz (AUT)
Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL) vs Rangers (SCO): 2-0
Benfica (POR) v Midtjylland (DEN): 4-1
How it works?
The teams play home and away with the aggregate winners progressing to their respective play-off path; if the teams are tied after 180 minutes, extra time and penalties will be played. There are no away goals.
Teams defeated in the Champions Path are transferred to the UEFA Europa League play-off round; the losers of the league path will line up in the Europa League group stage.
Play offs
Teams involved (12)
Champions course (8): 2 automatic entrants, 6 third qualifying round winners
League Path (4): 4 winners of the third qualifying round
To draw
The draw for the play-off round took place on Tuesday 2 August.
Calendar (August 16/17 & 23/24)
Champions course
Qarabağ (AZE)/Ferencváros (HUN) vs Sheriff (MDA)/Viktoria Pilsen (CZE)
Bodø/Glimt (NOR)/Žalgiris (LTU) vs Ludogorets (BUL)/Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)
Maccabi Haifa (ISR)/Apollon Limassol (CYP) vs Crvena zvezda (SRB)/Pyunik (ARM)
Copenhagen (DEN) vs Trabzonspor (TUR)
league path
Dynamo Kyiv (UKR)/Sturm Graz (AUT) vs Benfica (POR)/Midtjylland (DEN)
Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL)/Rangers (SCO) vs Monaco (FRA)/PSV Eindhoven (NED)
How it works?
The teams play home and away, with the aggregate winners advancing to the group stage draw on Thursday 25 August. If the teams are tied after 180 minutes, extra time and penalties will be played. There are no away goals.
All losing teams advance to the UEFA Europa League group stage (draw 26 August).
Qualifying rounds completed
preliminary round
Teams involved (4)
4 automatic attendees
Results
21st of June
La Fiorita (SMR) 1-2 Inter Club of Escaldes (AND)
Levadia Tallinn (EST) 1-6 Vikingur Reykjavik (ISL)
June 24
Inter Club d’Escaldes (AND) 0-1 Vikingur Reykjavik (ISL)
How did it work?
The winners of the two semi-finals met in the preliminary round final on Friday 24 June; all matches were one-legged matches. As the winner of the preliminary round final, Víkingur Reykjavík advanced to the first qualifying round.
The other three teams from the preliminary round were transferred to the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa Conference League champions path.
First qualifying round
Teams involved (30)
29 automatic attendees
1 preliminary round winner
Aggregated results
Sutjeska Niksic 0-3Ludogorets Razgrad
Vikingur Reykjavik 5-6 Malmo
Zalgiris 2-1 Ballkani, aet
Hibernians 0-3 Shamrock Rovers
Qarabag 5-2 Lech Poznań
Lincoln Red Imps 2-3 Shkupi
RFS 2-2 HJKaet (HJK won 5-4 at pens)
Tirana 1-3 Diddeleng
Sheriff 1-0 Zrinjski
CFR Cluj 2-2 Pyunikaet (Pyunik won 4-3 at pens)
Linfield 2-1 The New Saints, aet
Ferencvaros 5-1 Tobol
Shakhtyor Soligorsk 0-2 Maribor
Dinamo Batumi 1-2 Slovak Bratislavaand
KI 3-4 Bodø/Glimt
How did it work?
The teams played home and away with the aggregate winners progressing to the second qualifying round champions path; if the teams were tied after 180 minutes, extra time and penalties were played. There were no away goals.
Defeated teams advance to the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa Conference League champions path.
Second qualifying round
Teams involved (24)
Champions course (20): 5 automatic entries, 15 winners of the first qualifying round
League Path (4): 4 automatic entries
To draw
The draw for the second qualifying round took place on Wednesday 15 June.
Aggregated results
Champions course
Ferencvaros (HUN) 5-3 Slovan Bratislava (SVK)
Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) 3-2 Shkupi (MKD)
Qarabag (AZE) 5-4 Zürich (SUI)
HJK (END) 1-7 Viktoria Pilsen (CZE)
Linfield (NIR) 1-8 Bodø/Glimt (NOR)
Zalgiris (LTU) 3-0 Malmo (Sweden)
Ludogorets (BUL) 4-2 Shamrock Rovers (IRL)
Maribor (SVN) 0-1 Sheriff (MDA)
Maccabi Haifa (ISR) 5-1 Olympiacos (GRE)
Pyunik (ARM) 4-2 Diddeleng (LUX)
league path
Midtjylland (DEN) 2-2 AEK Larnaca (CYP), aet (Midtjylland won 4-3 at pens)
Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) 2-1 Fenerbahce (TUR)
How did it work?
The teams played home and away with the aggregate winners progressing to their respective paths to the third qualifying round; if the teams were tied after 180 minutes, extra time and penalties were played. There were no away goals.
Defeated teams transferred to the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.