Europa League: Benfica reveal the road ahead for the Eagles | OneFootball

Benfica, through its official channels, announced the date for the start of the 2026/27 pre-season, which will begin on June 25. However, in the same statement, the Lisbon club also revealed when the Reds will get underway in their European journey toward the league phase, after having to come through three knockout rounds.

"The new season is already taking shape on the horizon for Sport Lisboa e Benfica. The professional football squad begins preparations for 2026/27 on June 25, a Thursday, marking the start of the pre-season," reads the official statement Benfica shared on its website for fans and members to consult.

"The Eagles are beginning preparations for a sporting year that includes the need to come through 3 qualifying rounds to reach the Europa League league phase," it added. "Benfica will enter the competition in the 2nd qualifying round, with the draw scheduled for June 17. The first leg will be played on July 23, and the second leg on July 30," Benfica explained.

"The 3rd qualifying round of the Europa League, whose draw is scheduled for July 20, has matches set for August 6 and 13," the Lisbon club added. "On August 3, the draw for the play-off to reach the UEFA Europa League league phase will take place, with the two legs scheduled for August 20 and 27," Benfica concluded.

It should be remembered that Benfica will begin the new season while the World Cup is still ongoing, more specifically during the group stage. Therefore, there is a strong possibility that the Eagles will be unable to count on their international players in the early stages of pre-season, while also preparing for the Europa League matches.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.