The road to the UEFA Champions League group stage officially begins today with the first qualifying round draw set to take place at 15:00. Among the clubs hoping to kick off their European campaigns with a win are three teams from the Baltic region — all placed in Mini-Group 1, where potential matchups promise both intrigue and challenge.
Mini-Group 1: Baltic Champions Await Their Fate
In this first qualifying round mini-group, 10 teams are split into five seeded and five unseeded clubs, setting up five head-to-head knockout ties. The Baltic region is strongly represented, with both FK Žalgiris (Lithuania) and FC RFS (Latvia) listed among the seeded teams, while FCI Levadia Tallinn (Estonia) appears as one of the unseeded.
Seeded Teams:
- Malmö FF (Sweden)
- FK Žalgiris (Lithuania)
- FC RFS (Latvia)
- KuPS Kuopio (Finland)
- The New Saints FC (Wales)
Unseeded Teams:
- KF Shkëndija (North Macedonia)
- FCI Levadia Tallinn (Estonia)
- Ħamrun Spartans FC (Malta)
- FC Milsami Orhei (Moldova)
- FC Iberia 1999 Tbilisi (Georgia)
With both Žalgiris and RFS seeded, they’ll avoid each other but could draw tough ties, especially against sides like KF Shkëndija, who have considerable European experience, or domestic champions from rising football nations such as Malta and Georgia.
Meanwhile, Levadia Tallinn, unseeded, could face one of its Baltic neighbors — a high-stakes all-Baltic clash is possible if they’re paired with RFS or Žalgiris. Other seeded threats include Sweden’s Malmö FF, the clear favorite in this group.
High Stakes, Short Margin for Error
All ties in the first qualifying round are played over two legs, with the winner advancing to the second round and the loser dropping into the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers.
For the Baltic clubs, this draw represents a crucial moment. FK Žalgiris and FC RFS are both looking to build on recent strong European campaigns, while Levadia aims to break through after several seasons of near misses.
Draw Live at 15:00 CET
With the draw imminent, fans across Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia will be watching closely. Whether it’s a favorable matchup or a Baltic derby, the Champions League journey begins now — and for some, history may just be waiting in the next round.
