Women’s football to enter new era with UEFA Women’s Europa Cup

The UEFA Executive Committee has approved 'UEFA Women’s Europa Cup' as the name for the newly created second women’s club competition.

Announced a year ago, the tournament will launch in the 2025/26 season, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of European women’s football.

The UEFA Women's Europa Cup will give more teams the chance to test themselves against continental opposition, providing further incentive for investment at domestic level.

The name for our second women's club competition was carefully chosen to resonate with fans – thanks 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.

Additionally, clubs eliminated in the Women's Champions League third qualifying round, along with runners-up and third-placed teams from second qualifying round, will enter the tournament via a 'feeding' system.

Winners of the Women’s Europa Cup will automatically qualify for the third qualifying round of the champions path of the following season's Women's Champions League.

New era for women's club competitions

Next season will also see a revamped Women's Champions League, featuring an 18-team single-league phase.

These changes to UEFA's women's club competitions are based on extensive consultation and collaboration with the European Club Association (ECA), national associations, leagues and competing clubs, as well as the analysis and recommendations of the UEFA Women's Football Committee.

The innovations highlight UEFA’s commitment to enhancing competitiveness and maximising participation in women’s football.