Celtic and Hearts have learned their opponents for the autumn European campaign following the completion of the league-phase draws. Celtic manager Martin O'Neill's side will compete in the Europa League after dropping from the Champions League, while Hearts head coach Wouter Vrancken's team will contest the Conference League after progressing through qualifying.
Celtic, the Scottish Premiership champions, fell into the Europa League after surrendering a four-goal advantage against Austrian outfit LASK in the Champions League play-off tie. The Glasgow club will face Portuguese giants Benfica away and French side Marseille at home, alongside Ferencvaros, Union SG, Celta Vigo, Omonia and Besiktas across their eight league-phase matches.
Hearts, who progressed further than expected by defeating Rapid Vienna on penalties in the Conference League play-off after exiting both the Champions League and Europa League qualifying rounds, have been drawn against Trabzonspor—the Turkish club where Egyptian forward Mo Salah plays—along with Monaco, Pafos, Borac, Nordsjaelland and Thun.
The new league-phase format represents a significant departure from traditional group stages. According to ESPN's coverage of the 2026-27 European competitions, the draws took place on 28 August in Monaco, with the Europa League campaign beginning on 16 September.
How the league phase works
In the Europa League, all 36 competing teams play eight matches—four at home and four away—during the league phase. The eight highest-finishing teams automatically advance to the round of 16, while clubs finishing between ninth and 24th place enter a two-legged knockout play-off round. Teams finishing 25th or lower are eliminated from European competition entirely and cannot drop into other tournaments.
The Conference League operates under a similar structure but with a compressed schedule. According to UEFA's official Conference League information, all 36 teams play only six matches—three at home and three away. The qualification pathway mirrors the Europa League: the top eight teams progress directly to the last 16, while those finishing ninth through 24th compete in the play-off round.
When do the competitions begin?
Celtic's Europa League campaign commences in September, with the first round of matches scheduled for 16 September 2026. Hearts' Conference League involvement starts later, with the league phase beginning on 15 October 2026 and continuing across six matchdays through December.
Celtic's Europa League opponents
Celtic will play the following eight opponents across the league phase: Marseille (home), Benfica (away), Ferencvaros (home), Union SG (away), Celta Vigo (home), Omonia (away), Besiktas (home) and Torreense (away).
Hearts' Conference League opponents
Hearts will face six opponents during their league-phase campaign: Monaco (home), Pafos (away), Borac (home), Trabzonspor (away), Nordsjaelland (home) and Thun (away).
What led to these draws?
Celtic's path to the Europa League followed their Champions League play-off elimination by LASK earlier in August, a result that saw them relinquish a commanding position in the tie. Hearts' qualification for the Conference League proper came after a more dramatic route, overcoming Rapid Vienna in a penalty shootout during the play-off round, having previously exited both the Champions League and Europa League qualifying stages.
Both Scottish clubs now enter a new competitive phase under the reformed European structure, with their league-phase performances determining their progression to the knockout rounds in the new year.
