Wrexham Women Shatter Records: Everything You Need to Know About Their Historic 2026–27 Champions League Journey

Wrexham Women are set to make club history this week when they learn their opponents for the club's inaugural UEFA Women's Champions League fixture.

The men's side boasts a proud tradition in European football through its participation in the former European Cup Winners' Cup, where Wrexham featured eight times between 1972 and 1995.

Wrexham earned entry into that now-defunct tournament by lifting the Welsh Cup, but had never previously qualified for European competition via their league standing. That all changed last season when the women's side claimed their maiden Adran Premier title. The victory not only brought silverware to the club but also secured a berth in the UEFA Women's Champions League qualifying rounds.

The Red Dragons enter the competition in the first qualifying round as one of the lowest-ranked clubs and face a steep uphill battle if they are to reach the league phase. Here's everything you need to know ahead of the draw.

When Is the Women's Champions League Draw?

The first qualifying round draw for the 2026–27 UEFA Women's Champions League is scheduled to take place on Thursday, June 18, 2026.

The event will be hosted at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland, and is set to get underway at 2 p.m. BST (9 a.m. ET).

Cardiff City has represented Wales in each of the last three Women's Champions League campaigns but failed to record a single win or goal. Wrexham will be looking to become the first Welsh club to claim a Women's Champions League qualifying victory since Cardiff Met did so back in 2019.

How Does the Women's Champions League Draw Work?

The first qualifying round will consist of 20 domestic champions drawn from the lowest-ranked nations in UEFA's association coefficient standings.

These standings are calculated based on the results of clubs from each nation in European competitions over the preceding five seasons. Of UEFA's 51 eligible associations, Wales sits 48th, ranked above only the Faroe Islands, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

Given the number of teams involved, the first qualifying round operates on a mini-tournament basis. Clubs are placed into five groups of four, with one team in each group chosen to serve as host. Sports Illustrated understands that Wrexham are eager to host their mini-tournament should they be selected.

When Will Wrexham Play Their First Champions League Match?

Wrexham will contest their semifinal against a seeded side on Wednesday, July 22, with the victors progressing to the final on Saturday, July 25. Only the tournament winner will advance to the second qualifying round, while all other teams will be knocked out. A third-place playoff between the two losing semifinalists will also take place. While it carries no bearing on qualification, the result does factor into future coefficient calculations.

The six mini-tournament winners from the first qualifying round move on to the second qualifying round, where they are joined by 22 further domestic champions with higher coefficient rankings for another series of mini-tournaments.

The seven winners from the second qualifying round then proceed to the third and final qualifying round, where they are joined by one additional higher-ranked domestic champion. Those eight clubs compete in two-legged ties, with the victors earning a place in the league phase.

In summary, Wrexham would need to triumph in two separate mini-tournaments and then win a two-legged playoff against progressively tougher opposition to reach the Champions League league phase.

Who Can Wrexham Face in the Champions League Draw?

Seeded Teams

Unseeded Teams

As this marks the club's debut season in European competition, Wrexham enters the Women's Champions League draw with the lowest club coefficient in the entire field. Consequently, the Red Dragons will be one of the two unseeded teams in their group and will face a seeded club in the semifinal.

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Wrexham's club coefficient is just 0.800, the lowest of all participating sides. Moldovan outfit FC Zimbru Chișinău is the next lowest with a coefficient of 0.900.

Based on current coefficient standings, the most formidable potential opponents Wrexham could face are Luxembourg's Racing Union, Greece's PAOK, and Slovakia's Spartak Myjava.