The 2025/26 UEFA Champions League season concluded on Saturday with Paris Saint-Germain lifting the trophy after defeating Arsenal in Budapest. However, preparations for the next European campaign are already underway, with the first qualifying round draw set to take place in two weeks on 16 June in Nyon. For Baltic champions Riga FC, Flora Tallinn and Kauno Žalgiris, the draw will mark the beginning of another European adventure. While reaching the Champions League league phase remains an ambitious objective, a successful summer could still lead to a place in one of UEFA’s three league-phase competitions this autumn.
With Albanian champions KF Egnatia securing the final available place on Sunday, all 28 clubs participating in the first qualifying round are now known. Both Riga FC and Flora Tallinn will enter the draw as seeded teams. For Flora, this will be the club’s 14th appearance in Champions League qualification. The Estonian champions have only once progressed beyond the opening round, but that breakthrough came during their historic 2021 campaign when they eventually reached the UEFA Conference League group stage, becoming the first and so far only Estonian club to reach a European group-stage competition.
Riga FC return to Champions League qualification for the first time since 2021 after ending RFS’ dominance in Latvia and lifting the Virslīga title last season. Despite becoming one of the region’s strongest clubs in recent years, Riga have never managed to win a Champions League qualifying tie. Previous campaigns ended against Dundalk, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Malmö FF, meaning the Latvian champions will once again be chasing a long-awaited breakthrough and will want to joing FK Ventspils and RFS as the third Latvian team to make it to group stage/league phase.
While Riga and Flora have previous Champions League experience, Kauno Žalgiris will make their debut in Europe’s premier club competition.
After winning the first Lithuanian championship in club history last season, Eivinas Černiauskas’ side now steps onto the biggest stage. As an unseeded club, Kauno Žalgiris could even be paired against fellow Baltic champions Riga FC or Flora Tallinn, creating one of the most intriguing possibilities in the draw.
The Kaunas club has regularly participated in Conference League and Europa League qualification in recent years, but this summer represents their first taste of Champions League football.
Possible Riga FC and Flora opponents:
Among the strongest possible opponents on the unseeded side for Riga and Flora is Bulgarian champions Levski Sofia. The Sofia giants ended Ludogorets’ remarkable run of 14 consecutive league titles and return to Champions League qualification for the first time in years. Levski reached the Champions League group stage in 2006.
Hungarian champions Gyor are another side many clubs would prefer to avoid. The club claimed its first league title since 2013 after ending Ferencvvros’ seven-year dominance. Algerian international striker Nadhir Benbouali who will participate in the upcoming World Cup was one of the key figures behind the success, scoring 15 league goals during the campaign.
Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK will also attract attention across the Baltic region. The club is coached by Lithuanian manager Valdas Dambrauskas, who guided Sabah to the first league title in club history after finally dethroning Qarabağ. This will be Sabah debut in the Champions League
Armenian champions Ararat-Armenia return to Champions League qualification for the first time since 2020. The club has never progressed beyond the opening round but remains a familiar name to Baltic football followers. Their most recent meeting with a Baltic side came in 2022 when they were eliminated by Paide Linnameeskond on penalties.
Another potential opponent is Georgian champions Iberia 1999, who successfully defended their domestic title this season. Estonian football supporters will remember them well after they eliminated Levadia in extra time during last summer’s European campaign.
Andorran champions Inter Club d’Escaldes continue to establish themselves as one of the opponents not to be underestimated. Over the past few seasons they have collected notable results against clubs such as Hibernian, Velež Mostar and FCSB, while also earning draws against Olimpija Ljubljana and CFR Cluj.
Freshly crowned Albanian champions Egnatia complete the group of more notable opponents. The club secured a third consecutive Albanian title and reached the third qualifying round of the Conference League last season before eventually losing to Alex Matthias Tamm’s Olimpija Ljubljana after extra time.
Potentially more favourable draws could come against San Marino’s Tre Fiori, Luxembourg debutants FC Bissen, Maltese champions Floriana, Belarusian champions ML Vitebsk or North Macedonian title winners Vardar Skopje.
A difficult road for Kauno Žalgiris:
As an unseeded side, Kauno Žalgiris faces a significantly more challenging draw. Among the strongest possible opponents are Irish champions Shamrock Rovers. The Dublin club reached the Conference League league phase last season and notably eliminated Portuguese side Santa Clara in the play-off round.
Finnish champions KuPS also enjoyed a memorable European campaign last year. The club reached the Conference League league phase, collected seven points and even managed a draw against eventual Conference League winners Crystal Palace before being eliminated by Lech Poznan in the knockout round.
Kosovan champions Drita are another dangerous possibility. Last season they became only the second club from Kosovo to reach a UEFA league phase competition and collected eight points before eventually falling to Armandas Kučys and Artemijus Tutyškinas represented NK Celje in the knockout rounds.
Romanian champions Universitatea Craiova would represent another difficult challenge. The club secured its first Romanian title in history this season, finishing ahead of Universitatea Cluj, the former club of Lithuanian goalkeeper Edvinas Gertmonas.
Icelandic champions Vikingur have been tough for opponent for anyone travelling to Iceland to play them. Last year they came within touching distance of a major upset against Danish side Brondby before narrowly falling short after blowing a three goal lead after a first leg game.
Other possible opponents include Welsh champions The New Saints, Moldovan champions Petrocub, Bosnian champions Borac Banja Luka, Northern Irish champions Larne and Gibraltar champions Lincoln Red Imps.
Gibraltaran side Lincoln Red Imps is one of the stories from previous years. Last season they reached the Conference League league phase and recorded victories over Lech Poznan and Sigma Olomouc while also earning a draw against Rijeka.
The first qualifying round draw will take place on 16 June, with matches scheduled for 7-8 July and 14-15 July.
