Brighton Discover Six UEFA Conference League Opponents for 2026/27
Brighton & Hove Albion shirts displaying the UEFA Conference League badge ahead of the club's 2026/27 European campaign. Image: UEFA
Brighton & Hove Albion have discovered their six opponents for the 2026/27 UEFA Conference League after Friday's league phase draw in Monaco.
The Seagulls will welcome Monaco, Universitatea Craiova and Kauno Žalgiris to the Amex, while Brighton will travel to Panathinaikos, Getafe and Jablonec when the league phase gets underway in October.
The draw comes just one day after Brighton secured their place in the UEFA Conference League with a 4-0 victory over Tromsø at the Amex, completing a 4-0 aggregate win.
It means European football is returning to Brighton for a second time in the club's 125-year history, with six league-phase matches now confirmed and supporters facing three European nights at home and three away trips.
Brighton's six opponents
Home Monaco, Universitatea Craiova, Kauno Žalgiris
Away Panathinaikos, Getafe, Jablonec
League phase 36 teams and six matches per club
First matchday 15 October 2026
Brighton were drawn from Pot 2 and will face one opponent from each of the six UEFA Conference League seeding pots.
Brighton's six Conference League opponents
The draw has given Brighton three home matches and three away trips, producing a varied European schedule for the Seagulls.
HOME
Monaco — France
Universitatea Craiova — Romania
Kauno Žalgiris — Lithuania
AWAY
Panathinaikos — Greece
Getafe — Spain
Jablonec — Czech Republic
Brighton's Pot 1 opponent is Monaco, while Panathinaikos comes from Pot 2, Getafe from Pot 3, Universitatea Craiova from Pot 4, Jablonec from Pot 5 and Kauno Žalgiris from Pot 6.
Monaco headline Brighton's European home games
One of the biggest names coming to the Amex will be Monaco.
The French club were drawn from Pot 1 and will travel to Brighton during the league phase, giving Albion supporters another high-profile European opponent to look forward to.
The meeting will add another major European club to Brighton's return to continental football after the Seagulls' previous Europa League campaign.
Brighton fans face European trips to Athens, Madrid and the Czech Republic
The draw has produced three very different away trips for Brighton supporters.
Panathinaikos will take Brighton to Athens, while Getafe provides a trip to the Madrid area in Spain. The third away fixture will be against Jablonec in the Czech Republic.
“The fans are going to be looking forward to some very good trips - back to Athens again, to Madrid and over to the Czech Republic.”
Paul Barber, Brighton & Hove Albion chief executive
Barber also highlighted the three home fixtures and the opportunity for Brighton supporters to enjoy more European nights at the Amex.
UEFA Conference League 2026/27 league phase draw pots showing Brighton & Hove Albion and the teams drawn across Pots 1 to 6. Image: UEFA
When will Brighton play their Conference League matches?
The six UEFA Conference League league-phase matchdays have already been set, although Brighton's individual opponents have not yet been assigned to specific dates.
Matchday 1 15 October 2026
Matchday 2 22 October 2026
Matchday 3 5 November 2026
Matchday 4 26 November 2026
Matchday 5 10 December 2026
Matchday 6 17 December 2026
UEFA has said the full fixture list, including Brighton's individual opponents, dates and kick-off times, will be confirmed no later than Sunday 30 August 2026.
Brighton have also said ticket arrangements will be confirmed once the league-phase schedule has been finalised.
What does Brighton need to do to reach the knockout stages?
The 2026/27 UEFA Conference League uses a 36-team league phase, with every club playing six matches and facing one opponent from each of the six seeding pots.
1st–8th Direct qualification for the round of 16
9th–24th Knockout phase play-off
25th–36th Eliminated
Brighton will be targeting a top-eight finish if they want to avoid the extra knockout phase play-off and go straight into the round of 16. Teams finishing from ninth to 24th will enter a two-legged play-off for a place in the last 16.
Brighton secured European football with a 4-0 win over Tromsø
The Conference League draw came less than 24 hours after Brighton booked their place in the league phase.
The Seagulls beat Norwegian side Tromsø 4-0 at the Amex on Thursday night, with Babis Kostoulas, Maxim De Cuyper and Mats Wieffer putting Brighton three goals ahead before half-time.
Olivier Boscagli added a fourth goal as Brighton completed a 4-0 aggregate victory after the first leg in Norway had finished goalless.
The result secured another European campaign for Brighton and set up Friday's draw in Monaco.
Beşiktaş Park in Istanbul, Türkiye, which will host the 2027 UEFA Conference League final. Image: UEFA
What happens after the Conference League league phase?
If Brighton finish inside the top eight, they will go directly into the round of 16. If they finish between ninth and 24th, they will enter the two-legged knockout phase play-offs.
Knockout phase play-offs 18 & 25 February 2027
Round of 16 11 & 18 March 2027
Quarter-finals 8 & 15 April 2027
Semi-finals 29 April & 6 May 2027
Final 2 June 2027 — Beşiktaş Park, Istanbul
The 2026/27 UEFA Conference League final is scheduled for Wednesday 2 June 2027 at Beşiktaş Park in Istanbul, Türkiye.
For Brighton, the immediate target is much closer: six league-phase matches and a place among the teams progressing into the knockout stages.
Brighton's European adventure is ready to begin
Brighton's return to European football now has a clear shape.
Monaco, Universitatea Craiova and Kauno Žalgiris are coming to the Amex, while Panathinaikos, Getafe and Jablonec await on the road.
The league phase begins on 15 October, with six matches standing between Brighton and a place in the knockout stages.
The individual fixture calendar is the remaining major detail. UEFA has said the full list of matches and kick-off times will be communicated no later than Sunday 30 August 2026.
Brighton supporters now know the six opponents, the three home games, the three away trips and the dates on which the league phase will be played.