UEFA Women’s Europa Cup: A new era of European competition begins in 2025/26 | OneFootball

Starting from the 2025/26 season, UEFA will introduce the Women’s Europa Cup, a second women’s football club competition designed to expand access to international football and provide additional opportunities for clubs eliminated early in the UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL).

The tournament will follow a full knock-out format, with home-and-away ties culminating in a two-legged final.

Qualification CriteriaTeams will qualify for the Women’s Europa Cup through two routes:

Tournament ScheduleThe competition’s timeline is as follows:

Key differences from the men’s formatUnlike the men’s Europa League, teams from top leagues like the Barclays WSL, Arkema PL, Liga F, and Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga do not receive direct entry to the Women’s Europa Cup. However, clubs from these leagues may participate if eliminated during the UWCL qualifying rounds.

This new competition reflects UEFA’s commitment to enhancing women’s football by offering more teams a chance to compete on the European stage while strengthening the development of the game across the continent.