Europa League Qualifying Draw: Key dates, format & how to watch

The 2023/24 edition of the Europa League will mark the 53rd season that the competition has been held.

It will be the 15th time it has taken place carrying its current moniker, after being rebranded from the UEFA Cup in time for the 2009/10 season and has undergone a series of structural changes regarding the formatting of the draw. 

The 2023/24 campaign will be the third time the competition has followed its current format, with teams dropping out of the Champions League and going into a playoff round...
 

How does the Europa League Qualifying draw work? 

The draw for the Europa League takes place across the season. 

The playoff round draw will feature 20 teams; seven domestic cup winners, seven from the two Europa League qualifying paths and six eliminated from the third qualifying round of the Champions League. 

The 10 that remain will go into the 32-team group stages and 16 will progress, with the winners going straight into the round of 16 and the runners-up from the pool stages required to play off over two legs against the eight sides who came home third in their Champions League groups. 

While all the earlier draws for the respective rounds are made on separate days, the pathway for the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final will be decided in one draw.
 

When will the Europa League Qualifying draw be held? 

The draw for Europa League play-off round will take place on 7th August 2023, with the two-legged ties to be played between 10th August and 17th August.

The draw for the 32-team group stages will be held on 1st September. The ceremony for the 16-team knockout round playoffs takes place on 18th January 2023, with the ties for the round of 16 to be decided on 23rd February 2024. 

The draws for the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final will be decided on 15th March 2024.
 

How can I watch the Europa League Qualifying draw? 

The early rounds of the Europa League Draw will be broadcast on the UEFA website, YouTube channel and official app. 

They will also have coverage of the ceremonies as the tournament progresses, while the group stage onwards will be broadcast on BT Sport.
 

Where is the Europa League Final set to be held in 2023/24? 

The final of the 2023/24 Europa League will be played at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. It will be the second time the stadium has held the tournament’s showpiece. 

It was previously the venue in 2011, when Radamel Falcao’s 44th-minute header gave Porto a 1-0 win over fellow Primeira Liga side Braga.