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Wrexham Women have been awarded home advantage for the opening qualifying round of the UEFA Women's Champions League next month.
The Red Dragons will make their historic Champions League debut when they host Armenian champions FC Pyunik Women in the semifinal of the first-round qualifying mini-tournament. Northern Irish outfit Glentoran Women will take on Latvian side Riga FC Women in the other semifinal.
Every match will be contested as a single-leg fixture, with the winner of the four-team mini-tournament progressing to the second qualifying round.
It has now been confirmed that Wrexham will stage the entire mini-tournament at the Racecourse Ground, providing Jenny Sugarman's squad with a considerable home advantage as they look to make history on the European stage. Sports Illustrated reported last week that Wrexham Women were keen to host the event, believing that home support could enhance their prospects of advancing to the next stage of the competition.
Wrexham Women are guaranteed to feature in at least two Champions League fixtures this season, beginning with a semifinal followed by either a final or a third-place playoff.
The Welsh club will face FC Pyunik at the Racecourse Ground in the first qualifying round semifinal on Wednesday, July 22. The other Group 3 semifinal between Glentoran and Riga will also take place at the same venue on that day.
The first qualifying round final will be staged at the Racecourse Ground on Saturday, July 25, with the victors moving on to the second qualifying round. The two defeated semifinalists will also meet in a third-place playoff on that day, with the outcome contributing to UEFA coefficient rankings.
Cardiff City Women represented Wales in each of the last three Women's Champions League campaigns but failed to win a single match or register a goal. Wrexham will be aiming to become the first Welsh club to claim a Women's Champions League qualifying victory since Cardiff Met Women accomplished the feat back in 2019.
What Happens if Wrexham Win the Mini-Tournament?
Should Wrexham progress from the first qualifying round, they will be drawn into Group 7 for the second qualifying round, which is also structured as a four-team mini-tournament.
There, they would face Danish outfit HB Køge Women in the semifinal and then either Lithuanian side Gintra or Scottish club Heart of Midlothian Women in the final.
The winners of the second qualifying-round mini-tournament would then advance to the third qualifying round, which is played as a conventional two-legged knockout tie.
European powerhouses such as Real Madrid Femenino, Paris Saint-Germain Féminine and Chelsea Women will enter the competition at the third qualifying round this season. However, since Wrexham are competing via the Champions Path, the toughest potential opponent they could encounter at that stage would be Czech champions Sparta Prague Women.
The winners of the nine third-round qualifying ties will join the nine clubs that earn direct entry into the league phase.
Round | Opposition |
|---|---|
First qualification round semi-final | Pyunik |
First qualification round final | Glentoran or Riga |
Second qualification round semi-final | HB Køge |
Second qualification round final | Gintra or Hearts |
Third qualification round first leg | TBC |
Third qualification round second leg | TBC |
How Can Wrexham Qualify for the Europa Cup?
If Wrexham fall short of reaching the Champions League proper, they could still secure a spot in the UEFA Women's Europa Cup.
The Europa Cup is UEFA's secondary women's club competition and will be held for only the second time this season. Unlike the Champions League, it operates as a straight knockout tournament, with every round—including the final—played over two legs.
The Europa Cup winner earns automatic entry into the third qualifying round of the 2027–28 UEFA Women's Champions League.
SI answers is our AI answer engine trained on human-created content.
To qualify for the competition, Wrexham would need to reach the Champions League's second qualifying round mini-tournament. While the group winner progresses to the Champions League third qualifying round, the runner-up enters the Europa Cup second qualifying round, and the third-place side drops into the Europa Cup first qualifying round.
Unlike the early stages of the Champions League, Europa Cup qualifying rounds are played as traditional home-and-away ties rather than mini-tournaments.