The competition will begin in the 2025–2026 season, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter in European women’s football history.
The newly established second women’s club competition has been given the name “UEFA Women’s Europa Cup” by the UEFA Executive Committee.
An important turning point in the development of European women’s football will be reached when the tournament, which was announced a year ago, begins in the 2025–2026 season.
An additional incentive for domestic investment will come from the UEFA Women’s Europa Cup, which will allow more teams to compete against continental opponents.
Our second women’s club competition’s name was thoughtfully selected to appeal to supporters. Thank you.to the men’s UEFA Europa League, ‘Europa’ is already known as a term associated with the second tier in European club football, while ‘Cup’ emphasises the new tournament’s purely knockout format.
Competition branding and the new trophy will be presented in 2025 ahead of next season’s kick-off.
The UEFA Women’s Europa Cup: how it will work
The Women’s Europa Cup will take place over six rounds – two qualifying rounds, the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and a two-legged final.
Thirteen teams – the third-placed teams in the domestic league from associations ranked 8-13 and the runners-up of associations ranked 18-24 – will be entered directly into the Women’s Europa Cup.
A ‘feeder’ mechanism will also be used to get into the competition for clubs ousted in the third qualifying round of the Women’s Champions League, as well as the runners-up and third-place teams from the second qualifying round.
The Women’s Europa Cup champions will advance automatically to the third qualifying round of the Women’s Champions League champions path the following season.
A new era for club competitions for women
The Women’s Champions League will likewise be redesigned for the upcoming season, with an 18-team single-league phase.
The modifications made to UEFA’s women’s club championships are the result of thorough consultation andcooperation with national associations, leagues, rival clubs, and the European Club Association (ECA), in addition to the UEFA Women’s Football Committee’s analysis and suggestions.
The changes demonstrate UEFA’s dedication to increasing women’s football participation and competitiveness.
