SL Benfica will face Swiss side FC St. Gallen in the second qualifying round of the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League, following the draw held on June 17. The first leg is scheduled for July 23, with the return match on July 30, as the Lisbon club begins its quest for a first title.
Benfica’s Path and the St. Gallen Matchup
Benfica enters the competition as the highest-ranked team in the UEFA standings among those participating in the preliminary phase. In the UEFA Europa League qualifying format, teams are divided into seeded and unseeded pots based on their club coefficients—a ranking determined by performance in European competitions over the previous five seasons. According to UEFA’s official draw, the Lisbon club avoided several high-risk opponents, including Midtjylland, Anderlecht, and Pafos.
The pairing with St. Gallen avoids a repeat of last season’s difficulties against Qarabag. In that previous encounter, a 3-2 loss at the Estádio da Luz during the Champions League opener led to the departure of the team’s manager.
FC St. Gallen competes in the Swiss Super League, a competition known for its tactical discipline and physical style of play. For Benfica, the challenge involves navigating the away environment of the first leg before returning to Lisbon. The schedule for the tie is fixed:
- First Leg: July 23, 2026
- Second Leg: July 30, 2026
European Stakes and Historical Precedent
This campaign marks a return to the second-tier continental competition for Benfica, which last started its European journey in this specific tournament during the 2009/10 season. As RTP reported, the club is chasing a trophy that has remained elusive despite three final appearances in 1983, 2013, and 2014.
The club’s history in the competition stands in sharp contrast to that of FC Porto. While Benfica lost all three of its finals, Porto secured the trophy twice, winning in 2003 and 2011. This disparity adds a layer of historical pressure to the current campaign, as the Lisbon side seeks to bridge the gap in European silverware with its domestic rival.
The pressure on the Lisbon side is compounded by their ranking. Being the top seed in this phase creates an expectation of seamless progression, though the Swiss matchup presents a distinct tactical challenge.
The Karviná Corruption Scandal
While the draw is set, the stability of the tournament’s participants is under threat. Correio Braziliense reports that Karviná, a recent Czech Republic Cup champion, has been relegated from the first division following a match-fixing scandal.
The ethics commission of the Czech Football Federation confirmed that club officials offered bribes to two referees and two players to influence a national championship match and two playoff games in 2024.
The penalties handed down are severe:
| Entity | Penalty | Financial Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Karviná Club | Relegation | $ 2,4 m (413,000 euros) |
| Mayor of Karviná | 12-year football ban | $ 730 m (124,000 euros) |
Although the title win initially granted Karviná a spot in the Europa League playoffs, the situation is now under review by UEFA. Under UEFA’s integrity regulations, the governing body maintains the authority to revoke a club’s participation if the integrity of the competition is compromised by corruption or match-fixing. The governing body may revoke the club’s participation based on the federation’s findings.
Karviná has announced it will appeal, claiming the ethics commission ignored defense evidence and that the actions were committed by an individual who did not represent the club at the time.
Full Second Qualifying Round Pairings
The draw involved 18 clubs divided into seeded and unseeded pots. The bracket includes several placeholders, indicated by slashes, which represent matchups where the final participant is determined by the outcome of the first qualifying round. Beyond the Benfica matchup, A Bola’s analysis of the bracket highlights several competitive ties across Europe.
- Hammarby IF (SWE) vs RSC Anderlecht (BEL)
- Qarabağ FK (AZE) / Vestri (ISL) vs PFC CSKA Sofia (BUL) / Derry City FC (IRL)
- Tromsø IL (NOR) vs FC Viktoria Plzeň (CZE)
- FC Twente (NED) vs FK Vojvodina (SRB) / Ferencvárosi TC (HUN)
- Beşiktaş JK (TUR) vs FC Midtjylland (DEN)
- HNK Hajduk Split (CRO) / MŠK Žilina (SVK) vs Pafos FC (CYP)
- FC Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA) / NK Aluminij (SVN) vs Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC (ISR)
- FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) / FC Universitatea Cluj (ROU) vs PAOK FC (GRE)
The upcoming weeks will determine which of these clubs advance to the third qualifying round. For Benfica, the immediate goal is to navigate the Swiss tie without the volatility that characterized their previous European campaigns.
