Celtic Drawn Against Marseille as Europa League and Conference League Formats Take Shape for 2026-27
Celtic will face Marseille in the 2026-27 Europa League league phase, a standout fixture from Friday's draw that placed 36 clubs into their European schedule for the season ahead. Yahoo Sports
The draw, held on 28 August, also sent Celtic on the road to Benfica, Union Saint-Gilloise, Omonia and Torreense, with four home matches completing their eight-game slate. Yahoo Sports Marseille and Rennes are the two French sides in the competition, while Benfica — drawn in Pot 1 alongside Leverkusen, Juventus, Milan and Lyon — represent the strongest tier of seeds. UEFA Anderlecht are among the other familiar names involved. UEFA
The format is the same league-phase system UEFA introduced last season. Each of the 36 teams plays eight different opponents — four at home, four away — rather than the old group model where four sides played each other twice. One table ranks everyone together. BBC Sport
Finish in the top eight and you go straight to the round of 16. Land between ninth and 24th and you face a two-legged play-off — a home and away tie with the winner progressing — to reach the same stage. Come 25th or below and you are out entirely, with no safety net of dropping into a lesser competition. BBC Sport
For Celtic, the draw delivers variety and difficulty in equal measure. A trip to Benfica means visiting one of Portugal's grandest stadiums, the Estádio da Luz, while a journey to Torreense — a club from the Lisbon satellite town of Torres Vedras — is the kind of fixture the league phase was designed to produce: a lesser-known opponent that adds an element of surprise.
The knockout rounds begin in February. Europa League play-offs are scheduled for 18 and 25 February 2027, with the round of 16 on 11 and 18 March. The final is set for 26 May. UEFA
The Conference League, UEFA's third-tier competition, follows the same principle but with a lighter schedule. Its 36 teams play only six matches — three home, three away. The top eight advance to the last 16; teams from ninth to 24th enter the play-offs. BBC Sport
The Conference League draw, splitting its 36 clubs into six pots, is set for 13:00 CET on a Friday. UEFA Monaco, Freiburg and Iberia Tbilisi of Georgia are among the clubs involved. UEFA Matchday 1 kicks off on 15 October, with Matchday 2 following a week later on 22 October. UEFA The Conference League final is scheduled for 2 June. BBC Sport
For supporters, the league phase means more opponents, more nights of European football, and a table that shifts with every result until the cut-off in late January. Celtic's meeting with Marseille carries the weight of two passionate fanbases and two stadiums — Celtic Park and the Stade Vélodrome — famous for their atmosphere. The draw has given both sets of fans a date to circle.
