Ararat-Armenia Learned Its Potential Opponent in the Europa League Third Qualifying Round

The draw for the third qualifying round of the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League has taken place. Ararat-Armenia and Shamrock Rovers have learned their potential opponent in case either side is eliminated from the UEFA Champions League qualifiers.

The loser of the Ararat-Armenia (Armenia) vs Shamrock Rovers (Ireland) tie will face the loser of the Egnatia (Albania) vs Celje (Slovenia) matchup in the third qualifying round of the Europa League.

Meanwhile, the winners of those two ties will meet each other in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League.

As a result, European competition has produced a rare scenario in which teams from the same set of ties could face one another again, both in the winners' path and in the losers' path. The final matchups will be confirmed after the conclusion of the second qualifying round.

The third qualifying round matches of the UEFA Europa League will be played on August 6 and August 13.

UEFA Europa League – Third Qualifying Round

Main Path

Tromsø (Norway) / Hradec Králové (Czech Republic) — Beşiktaş (Turkey) / Midtjylland (Denmark)

Jagiellonia (Poland) — Rangers (Scotland)

Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine) / PAOK (Greece) — Hammarby (Sweden) / Anderlecht (Belgium)

Hajduk Split (Croatia) / Pafos (Cyprus) — Salzburg (Austria)

St. Gallen (Switzerland) / Benfica (Portugal) — Sturm Graz (Austria) / Hearts (Scotland)

Sheriff (Moldova) / Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel) — Qarabağ (Azerbaijan) / CSKA Sofia (Bulgaria)

Twente (Netherlands) / Ferencváros (Hungary) — Fenerbahçe (Turkey) / Górnik Zabrze (Poland)

Champions Path

(Featuring the losing teams from the Champions League second qualifying round.)

Larne (Northern Ireland) / Red Star Belgrade (Serbia) — Iberia 1999 (Georgia) / Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia)

Mjällby (Sweden) / Lincoln Red Imps (Gibraltar) — Omonia (Cyprus) / Kairat (Kazakhstan)

Sabah (Azerbaijan) / KuPS (Finland) — Levski Sofia (Bulgaria) / Universitatea Craiova (Romania)

Ararat-Armenia (Armenia) / Shamrock Rovers (Ireland) — Egnatia (Albania) / Celje (Slovenia)

AGF (Denmark) / Lech Poznań (Poland) — KÍ Klaksvík (Faroe Islands) / Žalgiris (Lithuania)

Thun (Switzerland) / Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) — Víkingur Reykjavík (Iceland) / Hapoel Be'er Sheva (Israel)

If Ararat-Armenia and Shamrock Rovers fail to advance from the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League, the Armenian club will have an opportunity to continue its European campaign in the UEFA Europa League.