The 2026/27 UEFA Europa League is underway, with the league phase kicking off on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.
This is the 56th edition of Europe’s second-tier club competition, and the third season under the 36-team league phase format. It runs through to the final on Wednesday, May 26, 2027, staged at Stadion Frankfurt in Germany.
Defending champions Aston Villa, who beat Freiburg 3-0 in last season’s Istanbul final, won’t be defending their title this time round. They qualified directly for the Champions League league phase instead, through their Premier League finish.
Meanwhile, three English clubs fly the flag this season: Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, and Sunderland. All are making their league-phase debuts.
You can watch the Europa League in Ireland via TNT Sports and Premier Sports (all accessible via NOW). Or you can enjoy the live stream for free on Servus TV. However, you’ll need a VPN to access geo-restricted services and the free streaming option.
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When & Where is the Europa League 2026/27 Happening?
- Date: September 16, 2026, to May 26, 2027.
- Venue: Various stadiums across Europe, final at Stadion Frankfurt, Germany.
How to Watch the Europa League in Ireland (Free)
ServusTVÂ is an Austrian streaming service that offers free-to-air coverage of select top-tier UEFA Europa League fixtures, including key matches, highlights, and select live broadcasts throughout the season.
Unfortunately, the platform is geo-restricted outside of Austria. However, you can access ServusTV On in Ireland by using a VPN. Here’s how:
Step 1: Subscribe to a reliable VPN service (Surfshark is our #1 choice).
Step 2: Download the Surfshark VPN App and install it on your device.
Step 3: Open the VPN app and connect to an Austrian server.
Step 4: Go to the Servus TV website and click on live
Step 5: Select Sports, then select Europa League from the upcoming events.
Step 6: Stream the Europa League live and free!
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How to Watch the Europa League in Ireland on Mobile
TNT Sports holds rights to every Europa League fixture from the league phase through to the final in both the UK and Ireland.
Its coverage is bundled into NOW‘s Sports Extra Membership, priced from €14.99 for a 24-hour pass or €33.99/mo on a rolling plan.
Here’s how to watch the Europa League on Mobile through Sky Sports via the NOW TV app:
Step 1: Download the NOW TV app from the Play Store or APK
Step 2: Open the app and click on the sidebar
Step 3: Choose Sports Membership
Step 4: Select your plan and click Claim offer
Step 5: Click Checkout
Step 6: Create your account by clicking Continue to checkout or sign in with your existing account
Step 7: Enter your credentials
Step 8: Choose your payment plan and enter your credentials to subscribe. Enjoy streaming!
Other Ways to Watch the Europa League in Ireland on Premier SportsÂ
Premier Sports is a premium Irish sports channel and an official broadcaster of UEFA Europa League matches in Ireland for the 2026/27 season, alongside other top European leagues.
Premier Sports is also bundled into the NOW Sports Extra Membership priced from €14.99, giving you both TNT Sports and Premier Sports channels for the same subscription.
Europa League 2026/27 Key Dates & Timeline
- League Phase Dates: September 16, 2026 – January 28, 2027
- League Phase Draw: Friday, August 28, 2026, Grimaldi Forum, Monaco
- Knockout Play-off Draw: January 29, 2027
- Round of 16 / QF / SF Draw: February 26, 2027
- Final: Wednesday, May 26, 2027, Stadion Frankfurt
- Format: 36 teams, single league table, top 8 advance directly to the Round of 16
Schedule of the Europa League 2026/27
Here is the schedule for the opening league phase fixtures, listed in Irish time.
| Date | Match | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|
| Matchweek 1 | ||
| Wed, 16 Sep 2026 | Omonoia FC vs. RC Celta de Vigo | 17:45 |
| Wed, 16 Sep 2026 | FC Ararat-Armenia vs. AC Sparta Praha | 17:45 |
| Wed, 16 Sep 2026 | Olympiacos F.C. vs. Jagiellonia Białystok | 20:00 |
| Wed, 16 Sep 2026 | R.S.C. Anderlecht vs. Olympique Lyonnais | 20:00 |
| Wed, 16 Sep 2026 | Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs. NK Celje | 20:00 |
| Wed, 16 Sep 2026 | Sunderland A.F.C. vs. AZ Alkmaar | 20:00 |
| Wed, 16 Sep 2026 | AC Milan vs. S.L. Benfica | 20:00 |
| Wed, 16 Sep 2026 | SK Sturm Graz vs. Stade Rennais F.C. | 20:00 |
| Wed, 16 Sep 2026 | Hapoel Be'er Sheva F.C. vs. GNK Dinamo Zagreb | 20:00 |
| Thu, 17 Sep 2026 | PFC Levski Sofia vs. FC Red Bull Salzburg | 17:45 |
| Thu, 17 Sep 2026 | OFI Crete F.C. vs. TSG 1899 Hoffenheim | 17:45 |
| Thu, 17 Sep 2026 | Celtic F.C. vs. Ferencvárosi TC | 20:00 |
| Thu, 17 Sep 2026 | Juventus FC vs. NEC Nijmegen | 20:00 |
| Thu, 17 Sep 2026 | FC Viktoria Plzeň vs. Royale Union Saint-Gilloise | 20:00 |
| Thu, 17 Sep 2026 | BeÅŸiktaÅŸ J.K. vs. Olympique de Marseille | 20:00 |
| Thu, 17 Sep 2026 | Lillestrøm SK vs. S.C.U. Torreense | 20:00 |
| Thu, 17 Sep 2026 | Crystal Palace F.C. vs. Lech Poznań | 20:00 |
| Thu, 17 Sep 2026 | Real Sociedad vs. AFC Bournemouth | 20:00 |
| Matchweek 2 | ||
| Thu, 15 Oct 2026 | KKS Lech Poznań vs. Bayer 04 Leverkusen | 17:45 |
| Thu, 15 Oct 2026 | FC Red Bull Salzburg vs. AC Milan | 17:45 |
| Thu, 15 Oct 2026 | Olympique Lyonnais vs. Crystal Palace F.C. | 17:45 |
| Thu, 15 Oct 2026 | AZ Alkmaar vs. Hapoel Be'er Sheva F.C. | 17:45 |
| Thu, 15 Oct 2026 | Royale Union Saint-Gilloise vs. Real Sociedad | 17:45 |
| Thu, 15 Oct 2026 | S.L. Benfica vs. Celtic F.C. | 20:00 |
| Thu, 15 Oct 2026 | RC Celta de Vigo vs. Juventus FC | 20:00 |
| Thu, 15 Oct 2026 | Olympique de Marseille vs. Olympiacos F.C. | 20:00 |
| Thu, 15 Oct 2026 | TSG 1899 Hoffenheim vs. BeÅŸiktaÅŸ J.K. | 20:00 |
| Matchweek 3 | ||
| Thu, 22 Oct 2026 | OFI Crete F.C. vs. Bayer 04 Leverkusen | 17:45 |
| Thu, 22 Oct 2026 | Stade Rennais F.C. vs. Juventus FC | 17:45 |
| Thu, 22 Oct 2026 | FC Ararat-Armenia vs. AZ Alkmaar | 17:45 |
| Thu, 22 Oct 2026 | SK Sturm Graz vs. Olympique de Marseille | 17:45 |
| Thu, 22 Oct 2026 | S.L. Benfica vs. Omonoia FC | 20:00 |
| Thu, 22 Oct 2026 | AFC Bournemouth vs. AC Milan | 20:00 |
| Thu, 22 Oct 2026 | TSG 1899 Hoffenheim vs. Olympique Lyonnais | 20:00 |
| Thu, 22 Oct 2026 | AC Sparta Praha vs. Olympiacos F.C. | 20:00 |
| Thu, 22 Oct 2026 | Lillestrøm SK vs. Real Sociedad | 20:00 |
Teams Participating in the Europa League 2026/27
Thirty-six teams from 22 national associations will compete in the 2026/27 Europa League league phase, each playing 8 matches against 8 different opponents.
- Ararat-Armenia
- AZ Alkmaar
- Benfica
- Bournemouth
- Celje
- Celta Vigo
- Celtic
- Crystal Palace
- Fenerbahçe
- Ferencváros
- GNK Dinamo
- Hapoel Beer-Sheva
- Hoffenheim
- Jagiellonia Białystok
- Juventus
- Lech Poznań
- Levski Sofia
- Leverkusen
- Lillestrøm
- Lyon
- Marseille
- Milan
- NEC
- OFI Crete
- Olympiacos
- Omonia
- Rennes
- Real Sociedad
- Salzburg
- Sparta Praha
- Sturm Graz
- Sunderland
- Torreense
- Union SG
- Viktoria Plzeň
- Anderlecht
Other Sports Leagues to Watch in Ireland
If you’re a sports fan, here’s a list of other major sporting events you can catch in Ireland.
- Watch the Premier League in Ireland
- Watch La Liga in Ireland
- Watch Serie A in Ireland
- Watch the UEFA Champions League in Ireland
- Watch Ligue 1 in Ireland
- Watch UFC in Ireland
FAQs – Europa League 2026/27
1. When does the 2026–27 Europa League season start and end?
The league phase kicked off on September 16-17, 2026, and the season concludes with the final on Wednesday, May 26, 2027, at Stadion Frankfurt.
2. How many teams are competing in the 2026–27 Europa League?
Thirty-six teams from 22 national associations, including debutants Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Sunderland, Celje, Jagiellonia Białystok, Lillestrøm, NEC, OFI Crete, Torreense, and Ararat-Armenia.
3. Where can I watch the Europa League in Ireland?
You can watch via Premier Sports and TNT Sports, both available through NOW, with a free streaming option also available.
4. Why isn’t Aston Villa defending their title?
Villa won last season’s final but qualified for the Champions League league phase directly through their Premier League finish, so their Europa League spot passed down the access list instead.
5. What’s the format of the league phase?
All 36 teams sit in a single table and play 8 matches each. The top 8 go straight to the Round of 16, teams 9th-24th enter a knockout play-off round, and the bottom 12 are eliminated.
Conclusion
The 2026–27 Europa League season is underway, having kicked off on September 16, 2026, and running through to May 26, 2027.
You can watch the Europa League in Ireland via Premier Sports and TNT Sports on NOW, or opt for ServusTV (an official free broadcaster in Austria) using a Surfshark.
