Next season’s Champions League starts with draw for first qualifying round

By: The Associated Press Posted: 10:15 AM CDT Tuesday, Jun. 16, 2026

NYON, Switzerland (AP) — Even before every European team started play at the World Cup, the next UEFA Champions League took its first steps on Tuesday as soccer's relentless calendar moves onward.

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NYON, Switzerland (AP) — Even before every European team started play at the World Cup, the next UEFA Champions League took its first steps on Tuesday as soccer's relentless calendar moves onward.

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NYON, Switzerland (AP) — Even before every European team started play at the World Cup, the next UEFA Champions League took its first steps on Tuesday as soccer’s relentless calendar moves onward.

The 28 teams in the draw for the first qualifying round included Kairat Almaty, which played Real Madrid, Arsenal and Inter Milan this season on its debut in the Champions League main phase.

Kairat is again the champion of Kazakhstan and again trying to win through all four qualifying rounds in July and August to reach the lucrative 36-team phase in September.

FILE - Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, center, controls the ball as Kairat's Alyaksandr Martynovich tries to stop him during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Kairat Almaty and Real Madrid at Ortalyk stadium in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Sept. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Alikhan Sariyev, File)

First-leg games are played on July 7 and 8, one day before the World Cup quarterfinals start in the United States. Return games are one week later.

Kairat was drawn to play the home leg first against the champion of Montenegro, Sutjeska-Niksic.

Only Bosnia-Herzegovina of the 16 European teams at the World Cup had its champion in the draw, and Borac Banja Luka has only 18-year-old goalkeeper Mladen Jurkas in the national squad.

Borac is at home first against Levski Sofia, which ended the 14-year title run in Bulgaria of Ludogorets.

Sabah of Azerbaijan dethroned Qarabag — which was in the Champions League knockout playoffs in February, losing to Newcastle — in just its ninth season in existence and now hosts The New Saints of Wales.

Second draw on Wednesday

UEFA makes another draw on Wednesday for the Champions League second qualifying round that starts on July 21, two days after the World Cup final. It has separate sections for league title winners and runner-up teams from mid-ranked leagues.

The 1991 European Cup winner Red Star Belgrade, Dinamo Zagreb and surprise first-time title holders Thun of Switzerland and Mjällby of Sweden will be among 10 teams entering the champions section.

Fenerbahce, Heart of Midlothian, Sturm Graz and Górnik Zabrze begin the qualifying section for teams that did not win their domestic title.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer