As summer approaches, anticipation builds across the Baltic football scene. The champions of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia — FC RFS, FK Žalgiris, and FCI Levadia — are preparing for their continental campaigns, hoping to make waves in the early rounds of European competition. With the draw for the UEFA Conference League First Qualifying Round just around the corner – 17th of June, the spotlight is on who these Baltic powerhouses might face.
Seeded Baltic Hopefuls: RFS and FK Žalgiris
Both RFS (Latvia) and FK Žalgiris (Lithuania) will enter the qualifying draw as seeded teams, giving them a statistical advantage and a more favorable path — at least on paper. Their consistent performances domestically and solid UEFA coefficients over the past seasons have earned them this position.
Their potential opponents will come from a pool of unseeded teams including:
- Virtus (San Marino) – Perhaps the most desirable opponent, with limited experience in European competition as this will be their second UEFA Champions League appearance in a row. In their debut season last year, they were eliminated in the first qualifying round by Romanian champions FCSB, losing by an aggregate score of 1-11. They then lost in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League against FC Flora Tallinn with a score of 2-5.
- Inter Club d’Escaldes (Andorra) – They are four-time champions of the Andorra league and regularly participate in qualifying rounds, although they are usually outmatched by stronger teams. In their five-year history of competing in Europe, they have successfully advanced past a round twice: two years ago, they defeated Faroese team Vikingur 3-2 on aggregate, and last season, they bested Bosnian side Velež Mostar 6-2. Their most notable achievement came in the summer of 2023 when they surprised Scottish Premiership side Hibernians by winning the first leg of their matchup 2-1.
- Iberia 1999 (Georgia) – Iberia 1999 is a two-time champion of the Georgian league. Last season, the team reached the third qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League, where they lost to the Turkish side Basaksehir with an aggregate score of 0-3. This marks their second appearance in the UEFA Champions League; during their European debut in the 2019-20 season, they triumphed over the Moldovan team Sheriff Tiraspol with a 4-3 aggregate score. However, they were eliminated in the subsequent round by the Croatian giants Dinamo Zagreb, suffering a defeat of 0-5. Iberia currently has three former Virslīga players on their roster: Luka Silagadze, a winger who previously played for RFS, FK Liepāja, and Valmiera FC; Irakli Sikharulidze, a forward who played for RFS in 2018; and Davit Skhirtladze, who made two appearances for Riga FC in 2019. As of now, Iberia 1999 is leading the Georgian league and remains undefeated, having earned 40 points after 16 games.
- Shelbourne (Ireland) – Shelbourne is a physical and gritty team that won their first Irish League title in 18 years. Last season marked their first European appearance since 2006, as they reached the second qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League but lost to Swiss club FC Zurich with an aggregate score of 0-3. This season, they will make their first appearance in the UEFA Champions League since the 2005-06 season, when they defeated Northern Ireland side Glentoran in the first round but subsequently lost to Romanian club Steaua București. In 2006, Shelbourne also played against a Baltic side, winning 5-0 on aggregate against Lithuanian club FK Vetra in the Intertoto Cup. Currently, Shelbourne sits in 6th place in the League of Ireland after 17 matches, with a total of 23 points—nine points behind the leaders, Shamrock Rovers.
- Noah (Armenia) – The first-time Armenian league champions will make their debut in the UEFA Champions League. Last season, they surprised many by becoming the first team to qualify for the UEFA Conference League phase starting from the 1st qualifying round. During their journey to the league phase, they defeated North Macedonian side Shkendija, Maltese club Sliema Wanderers, Greek side AEK Athens, and in the playoff round, Slovakian team Ružomberok, winning 4-3 on aggregate. In the league phase, they finished with four points after six matches, securing a win against Mlada Boleslav and a draw against Vikingur Reykjavik, ultimately placing 31st. They also faced Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, where they suffered a heavy defeat, losing 0-8. As a result, they will be one of the teams to watch for on the unseeded side of the competition.
- KF Shkendija (North Macedonia) – After a four-year break, Shkendija has returned to the top of the league, winning the league title. Once a team that came close to reaching the UEFA Europa League Group Stage three consecutive times from 2016 to 2018, now faced elimination in the first round during the last two seasons. Last year, they lost to Noah, and the year before, they suffered a humiliating defeat against Welsh side Haverfordwest County in the UEFA Europa Conference League after a penalty shootout. Shkendija has faced teams from all Baltic countries. In the 2022-23 UEFA Conference League second qualifying round, they defeated Valmiera FC with an aggregate score of 5-2. However, the season before that, they lost to Riga FC 0-3 in the same competition. In the 2019-20 season, they were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League first qualifying round by Nomme Kalju due to the away goals rule. In the 2017-18 season, they triumphed over Lithuanian club Trakai with a 4-2 aggregate score in the Europa League third qualifying round, which led to a play-off round duel against AC Milan in the playoff round. Shkendija center-back Mevlan Adili made 11 appearances for FK Žalgiris in 2019.
- FC Dinamo Minsk (Belarus) – A nine-time league champion for back-to-back years, will participate in the UEFA Champions League. Last season, they reached the UEFA Conference League phase, where they secured one victory against the Northern Irish side Larne, winning 2-0, but suffered five defeats. In their history, they have faced teams from Latvia four times. They played against Skonto Rīga twice, sharing the results, and met Jūrmalas Spartaks once. They also experienced a loss to FK Liepāja in the notorious Europa League first qualifying round during the 2019-20 season, which was marred by an incident involving Dinamo Minsk’s traveling fans storming the field late in the match. In the 2013-14 season, they defeated the Lithuanian side Kruoja Pakruojis with an aggregate score of 8-0. The season before, they triumphed over Estonian side Sillamae Kalev with a 10-1 aggregate score
- Hamrun Spartans FC (Malta) – After winning their third consecutive Maltese championship, Hamrun Spartans aim to become the first Maltese team to reach the group stage of a European competition. Their closest attempt was in the 2022-23 season, when they advanced through three rounds of the UEFA Conference League qualifiers by defeating Alashkert, Velež Mostar, and Levski Sofia, only to lose to Partizan in the playoff round with a 4-7 aggregate score. Last season, Hamrun struggled in Europe, losing both ties: first in a penalty shootout against Lincoln Red Imps, and then 0-2 on aggregate to Ballkani in the Conference League second qualifying round. Jovan Cadjenovic, a two-time A Lyga champion with FK Sūduva (2018) and FK Paņevežys (2023), joined Hamrun Spartans in January and played a crucial role in helping the team secure the trophy. During his five seasons in Lithuania, the Serbian midfielder made 103 appearances in the A Lyga.
- Kairat Almaty (Kazakhstan) – One of the seeded teams that others would like to avoid in the first qualifying round is Kairat. On the last matchday, Kairat won the league title, becoming the fourth different champion in the last four years in Kazakhstan and claiming their fourth league title, their first since 2020. This season marks their return to European competition for the first time since the 2022-23 season, when they suffered a defeat against Hungarian side Kisvarda in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League. The last time Kairat participated in the Champions League was during the 2021-22 season, where they utilized the Champions Path effectively, making history by reaching the UEFA Conference League Group Stage. In that season, they were in a group with Basel, Qarabag, and Omonia, finishing with two points. In their history against Baltic teams, Kairat has only faced Lithuanian club Atlantas during the first qualifying round of the 2017-18 UEFA Europa League, where they won comfortably with an aggregate score of 8-1. Last season, the starting center-back for Kairat was former Valmiera FC defender Luka Gadrani, who played from 2020 to 2021.
- FC Milsami Orhei (Moldova) – Holding on to a draw in their last match against the most well-known club in Moldova, Sheriff Tiraspol, allowed Milsami Orhei to win their second-ever league title and their first since the 2014-15 season. Milsami will compete in Europe for the eighth consecutive season. Last season, they advanced to the second qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League, defeating the Belarusian side Torpedo 4-2 on aggregate. However, they lost in the subsequent round to Astana in a closely contested match, finishing 1-2 on aggregate. Milsami’s best run in European competitions occurred during the 2015-16 season when they started in the Champions League and reached the UEFA Europa League playoffs, where they lost 1-2 on aggregate to the French club Saint-Étienne. Three former Baltic League players are part of the winning team. Goalkeeper Emil Timbur made 10 appearances for Paņevežys last season, Dutch defender Dehninio Muringen played for almost two years with Paide Linnameeskond, winning the Estonian Super Cup during the 2023-2024 season, and Belgian midfielder Olivier Rommens played for two seasons with FK Sūduva (2021-2022) before moving to Nomme Kalju FC in Estonia for the following season.
- Differdange 03 (Luxembourg) – Winning back-to-back league titles has secured Differdange’s second consecutive appearance in the UEFA Champions League. Last season, during their Champions League debut, the Luxembourg club lost to Faroese champions KI Klaksvik with an aggregate score of 0-2. They also faced elimination in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League, losing to Kazakh side Ordabasy after a penalty shootout. In their European competitions, Differdange has played against clubs from Lithuania and Estonia. In the 2014-15 UEFA Europa League first qualifying round, they were eliminated by Lithuanian club Atlantas, losing 2-3 on aggregate. However, in the 2011-12 UEFA Europa League second qualifying round, they achieved their best-ever European run by defeating Levadia 1-0 on aggregate, which allowed them to reach the UEFA Europa League play-off round. In that round, they faced the current Champions League finalists PSG, where they lost 0-6 on aggregate.
- Vikingur (Faroe Island) – Ending KI Klaksvik three-year dominance in the Faroese League Vikingur won their third ever league title and their first in seven years. This will be their third ever appearance in the Champions League, previously they have won one round back in 2017-18 season when they beat Kosovo side Trepca’89 6-2 on aggregate, but have suffered defeats against Icelandic side FH and Finnish side HJK.Last season, Vikingur progressed to the first round of the UEFA Conference League, where they beat FK Liepāja 3-1 on aggregate. Unfortunately, in the second round, they suffered a heavy defeat against the Belgian side Gent, losing 1-7. In total, Vikingur has faced Latvian teams in European competitions on two previous occasions. In the 2016-17 season, they lost to FK Ventspils 0-4 on aggregate in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League. However, in the 2014-15 season, they had a successful run against Daugava, winning 3-2 on aggregate. This victory launched their best-ever performance in Europe, as they subsequently defeated the Norwegian team Tromsø 2-1, but were ultimately eliminated in the third qualifying round by the Croatian side Rijeka.
- KF Egnatia (Albania) – Back-to-back league champions will be making their second-ever appearance in the UEFA Champions League and are still seeking their first win in Europe, as their record in the two previous seasons is 0-3. In their debut, they suffered a defeat in a penalty shootout against Ararat-Armenia. Last year, they faced another setback in their UEFA Champions League debut, losing on penalties again, this time to the Bosnian side Borac Banja Luka. Additionally, in the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round, they were eliminated by the Icelandic team Vikingur Reykjavik, losing on aggregate 1-2. Lithuanian attacking players Gytis Paulauskas and Juozas Lubas, who previously represented Egnatia, both won league titles with the Albanian club.
Underdog Territory: FCI Levadia Faces a Tough Draw
For FCI Levadia (Estonia), the journey begins with a steeper hill to climb. As an unseeded team, they’re guaranteed to face a seeded opponent — and the list is daunting.
Their potential opponents include:
- Ludogorets (Bulgaria) – Ludogorets has won the Bulgarian League Championship for the 14th consecutive time and has participated in the UEFA Champions League group stages twice. They have also competed in the UEFA Europa League group stage or league phase eight times and reached the UEFA Conference League group stage once. As one of the top seeds in the first qualifying round, Ludogorets is recognized as one of the strongest teams. Last season, the Bulgarian champions participated in the UEFA Europa League, where they played eight matches, resulting in four draws and four defeats, finishing in 33rd place overall. Notably, Ludogorets has never faced an Estonian or Latvian team in their history but has played against Lithuanian teams three times. They have squared off against FK Žalgiris twice: once in the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League second qualifying round, winning 5-3 on aggregate, and again in the UEFA Europa League play-off round three years ago, winning 4-3 on aggregate. Additionally, they defeated FK Sūduva in the UEFA Europa League play-off round during the 2017-18 season, winning 2-0 on aggregate.
- Malmo FF (Sweden) – Malmö FF, the Swedish football giants, have the most league titles in Sweden, boasting a total of 24. They were runners-up in the UEFA Champions League (then known as the European Cup) in the 1978-79 season. Last season, they narrowly missed reaching the group stage of the UEFA Champions League, losing in the play-off round to Sparta Prague with an aggregate score of 0-4. In the UEFA Europa League, they played eight matches and earned five points, finishing in 31st place. Malmö secured a victory against Qarabag and drew matches against Galatasaray and Slavia Prague. The last time Malmö participated in the UEFA Champions League group stage was during the 2021-22 season. Notably, they have never faced a team from Estonia in European competition.
- FCSB (Romania) – FCSB, the European Cup champions of the 1985-86 season and 28-time Romanian league champions, are aiming to reach the main stage of the UEFA Champions League for the first time since the 2013-14 season. Last season, the Romanian club advanced to the UEFA Europa League, where they reached the Round of 16 but were defeated by Lyon with an aggregate score of 1-7. FCSB began their current league campaign with a convincing 4-1 victory against FC RFS. This match marked the first time the Romanian club has faced a Latvian side in European competition. In the late 1990s, FC Flora and FCI Levadia both suffered defeats to FCSB, and during the 2012-13 Europa League play-off round, FCSB eliminated the Lithuanian club Ekranas with a 5-0 aggregate score. Joyskim Dawa, a former defender for Valmiera FC, finished his third season with the Romanian champions.
- KuPS (Finland) – KuPS has finally lifted the monkey off their back by earning their first league title since 2019. The main storyline for the team is that over the past three years, they finished in second place, with only a two-point difference in total in these three seasons between them and the champions, HJK. Their last appearance in the UEFA Champions League was during the Covid year, where in a single elimination game they suffered a heavy defeat against Molde, losing 0-5. However, they did manage to reach the UEFA Europa League playoff round that season, only to fall short after a 1-3 defeat against CFR Cluj. Last season, KuPS started in the UEFA Conference League’s first qualifying round, where they secured a victory against the Luxembourg club UNA Strassen. Unfortunately, in the next round, they were eliminated on aggregate by Tromsø, losing 0-2. Now, KuPS is aiming to reach a European league phase for the first time in their history.of the back as KuPS earned their first league title since 2019, main story for them has been that in the previous three years the team finished second and the total point difference between them and the champions which were HJK was two points! Last time they participated in the UEFA Champions League it was the Covid year and in the single elimination game they suffered a defeat against Molde 0-5, but they did reach UEFA Europa League play-off round in that season, but were one step short because they suffered a defeat against CFR Cluj 1-3. Last season KuPS started from the UEFA Conference League first qualifying round where they defeated Luxembourg club UNA Strassen, but in the following round suffered defeat on aggregate against Tromso 0-2. KuPS will look to reach a European league phase for the first time in their history.
- Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia) – Alex Matthias Tamm and Justas Lasickas’ team will return to the Champions League action after a one-year break. In the 2023-24 season, they eliminated Valmiera FC and Ludogorets from the competition, but in the third round, they lost to Galatasaray with a score of 0-4 on aggregate. Olimpija Ljubljana has never reached the main stage of the UEFA Champions League, but they had a great run in Europe last season. Starting from the second qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League, they eliminated Ukrainian club Polissya, Moldovan club Sheriff, and Croatian club Rijeka to reach the league phase. In the league phase the Slovenian club finished with three wins and a total of ten points, placing 14th out of 36 teams. However, they suffered a surprising defeat in the first knockout stage against Bosnian side Borac Banja Luka, losing 0-1 on aggregate. Olimpija has never played against a Lithuanian or Estonian club in European competitions, but since Levadia is unseeded, they have the best chance of drawing them. This could allow Alex Matthias Tamm to return home to play against a team he enjoyed scoring against in the Estonian League.
More favorable seeded matchups could include:
- Lincoln Red Imps (Gibraltar) – Another team that an Estonian player is part of is Lincoln Red Imps. Mattias Mannilan finished his first season abroad by winning the Gibraltar Championship. The former Kuressaare forward scored three league goals for Lincoln. This upcoming season will mark the fifth consecutive UEFA Champions League appearance for Lincoln Red Imps. Their best result came during the 2021-22 season, which was a challenging time for Latvian football, as Riga FC was eliminated by Lincoln Red Imps, allowing them to reach the inaugural UEFA Conference League group stage, where they finished without a point, losing all six matches. Last season, Lincoln reached the UEFA Conference League play-off round but lost to the Northern Irish side Larne by a score of 3-4 on aggregate. Lincoln has never faced a team from Lithuania, but they did play against an Estonian side in the 2016-17 UEFA Champions League first qualifying round, where they eliminated Flora Tallinn with a 3-2 win on aggregate. In the following round, they achieved an upset victory against Glasgow Celtic, winning 1-0, but ultimately lost to them 1-3 on aggregate.
- The New Saints (Wales) – The New Saints (TNS), a 17-time league champion from Wales, made history last season by becoming the first Welsh team to reach the main stages of a European competition, specifically the UEFA Conference League. On their journey to this stage, they secured victories against the Montenegrin team Dečič in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League and defeated FK Paņevežys in the playoff round, winning 3-0 on aggregate. In the league phase, TNS managed to achieve one win (against Astana, 2-0) out of six matches but did not progress to the knockout stage. TNS is notable for having played against every Baltic side; in their debut UEFA Champions League campaign back in 2000, they lost to Levadia with an aggregate score of 6-2, and seven years later, they were defeated by FK Ventspils in the same competition. Historically, TNS has had considerable success against Lithuanian clubs, highlighted by their largest margin of victory in Europe when they thrashed FK Kauno Žalgiris 10-1 on aggregate during the second qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League four years ago.
- Breidablik (Iceland) – Three-time league champions will make their first appearance in the UEFA Champions League since the 2023-24 season. During that season, they made history by becoming the first Icelandic side to reach the main stage of a European competition, competing in the UEFA Conference League group stage where they finished with zero points after six matches against Gent, Maccabi Tel-Aviv, and Zorya Luhansk. Last season, Breidablik advanced to the second qualifying round of the Conference League by defeating North Macedonian side Tikvesh 5-4 on aggregate. However, they lost in the following round against Kosovo’s Drita, with a total score of 1-3. Historically, Breidablik has never faced a Lithuanian or Estonian club, and their only matchup against a Latvian team occurred back in 2016 when they were eliminated by FK Jelgava.
- Buducnost Podgorica (Montenegro) – One of the oldest clubs in Montenegro will celebrate its 100th anniversary next month. What a way to commemorate this milestone by competing in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers after a year’s absence! The club has never progressed to the main stage of European competition and has more often been eliminated in the first two rounds. Last season, they reached the second qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League but lost to Bulgarian club CSKA Sofia with an aggregate score of 1-2 after extra time. Their best performances in Europe have been reaching the third qualifying round of the Europa League twice: during the 2010-11 season, when they lost to Brøndby (Denmark), and in the 2020-21 season, when they were defeated by Sarajevo (Bosnia).
- FC Drita (Kosovo) – The four-time Kosovo league champions won their first title since the 2019-20 season, which will mark their first appearance in the Champions League in five years. Their last participation left a bitter taste, as they were eliminated without playing a game; Linfield was awarded a walkover win due to positive COVID-19 results among Drita players prior to the match. Therefore, this return to the competition will be welcomed, free from external distractions. Last season, Drita had their best run in European competitions, reaching the UEFA Conference League play-off round, where they lost to Legia 0-3 on aggregate. During their journey to the play-off round, they eliminated Breidablik and the Latvian team FK Auda. This marked the first-ever meeting between Drita and a Baltic side.
- Linfield (Northern Ireland) – Linfield, the fourth-oldest club on the island of Ireland, will return to Champions League football after a three-year absence. Latvian football fans remember Linfield well from that late August day at Windsor Park, where they missed a chance to become the first team from Northern Ireland to reach the main stages of European competition. They suffered a heartbreaking defeat against RFS, conceding a last-second goal that led to a penalty kick. This, along with their defeat in the 2019-20 season against Qarabag on away goals in the Europa League playoff round, represents their closest attempts at reaching the main stages of Europe. Last season, Linfield’s European journey ended quickly as they lost to Icelandic club Stjarnan in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League, finishing 3-4 on aggregate. Despite being in European competitions for over sixty years, Linfield has never faced a team from Estonia. If the draw pairs them against Levadia, it will mark the first time they play a team from Estonia.
The Estonians will be hoping to avoid regional rivals like Žalgiris or RFS in the early rounds to give all Baltic sides a chance to progress further.
What’s at Stake?
Beyond pride, these opening qualifiers are gateways to European exposure, financial bonuses, and valuable UEFA coefficient points that can elevate national league rankings.
- For RFS and Žalgiris, the goal is clear: avoid early stumbles and build toward the group stages, as both clubs have done in recent years.
- For Levadia, the challenge is significant — but a favorable draw and a disciplined performance could ignite an underdog story.
| Seeded Teams | Unseeded Teams |
| Ludogorets (BLG) | Inter Club d’Escaldas (AND) |
| FCSB (ROM) | Shkendija (MAC) |
| Olimpija Ljubljana (SLO) | FCI Levadia (EST) |
| Malmo FF (SWE) | Dinamo Minsk (BLR) |
| FK Žalgiris (LIT) | Hamrun Spartans (MAL) |
| FC RFS (LAT) | Kairat Almaty (KAZ) |
| KuPS (FIN) | Milsami Orhei (MOL) |
| Lincoln Red Imps (GIB) | Noah (ARM) |
| The New Saints (WAL) | Differdange 03 (LUX) |
| Drita (KOS) | Iberia 1999 (GEO) |
| Breidablik (ICE) | Vikingur (FAR) |
| Linfield (NIR) | Shelbourne (IRE) |
| Buducnost Podgorica (MON) | Egnatia (ALB) |
| Winner of Bosnian League* | Virtus AC (SAN) |
