The second edition of UEFA’s second continental women’s club tournament has already delivered emphatic victories, narrow aggregate wins and a remarkable comeback by Rosenborg against Slovan Liberec. The next stage will feature two-legged ties on October 28-29 and November 10-11, with the quarter-finals scheduled for February 2027.
The qualifying rounds have also provided opportunities for players from a wide range of countries, including several Americans who have built professional careers in Europe after playing college football or competing in North American summer leagues.
First qualifying round brings big wins
The opening round took place across late August and early September, featuring 24 clubs: 13 that began the European season in the Europa Cup and 11 eliminated during the second qualifying round of the Women’s Champions League.
Seven of the original Europa Cup entrants progressed, including five who defeated clubs arriving from the Champions League pathway.
FC Minsk defeated Croatia’s Agram 1-0 on aggregate, while Danish side Fortuna Hjørring overcame Hajduk Split 3-1. Norwegian club Vålerenga enjoyed a much more comfortable passage against Slovenia’s Radomlje, winning 9-1 across the two legs.
Radomlje had two Senegalese internationals in their squad. Defender Bineta Seck represented Senegal at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco this summer, having also played at the 2025 tournament. Forward Khadija Badio joined the Slovenian side this season and was also included in Senegal’s WAFCON squad.
Iceland’s FH edged Apollon Ladies of Cyprus 2-1, while Ukraine’s Metalist 1925 Kharkiv defeated Kosovo’s Mitrovica 5-0 after a goalless first leg.
Austria’s Sturm Graz eliminated Lithuania’s Gintra 7-4 on aggregate. Portugal’s Torreense were even more productive, beating Ukraine’s Kolos Kovalivka 9-2, including a 6-1 home victory.
Kolos relied entirely on Ukrainian players, while Romania’s Csíkszereda had a much more international squad, with ten overseas players, including six from Hungary.
Czech club Slovan Liberec edged Bosnia and Herzegovina’s SFK 2000 4-3, and Icelandic side Breiðablik overwhelmed Csíkszereda 9-1 after scoring eight goals in the first leg.
Rosenborg defeated Ukraine’s SeaSters Odesa 3-1, while Feyenoord edged Anderlecht 4-3 in a meeting between clubs from countries that previously shared the BeNe League, a joint Dutch-Belgian women’s competition that ran from 2012-13 through 2014-15.
Anderlecht’s Lithuanian international Rimantė Jonušaitė scored in the tie. The 22-year-old previously played for AC Milan and Servette before joining the Belgian club in 2025. She has also been a prolific scorer for Lithuania, with 24 senior international goals in 51 appearances.
Brøndby completed the most emphatic victory of the round, defeating Serbian side Spartak Subotica 9-1 on aggregate.
Americans find opportunities in Serbia
Spartak Subotica’s roster included two American players, defender Jelena Zbiljić and midfielder Amelia Rose Brown, alongside New Zealand forward Rebekah Trewhitt.
Zbiljić played three seasons at the University of Minnesota after transferring from the University of Illinois Chicago. In 2024, she started all 22 matches as Minnesota reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018, advancing to the Round of 16.
She also spent several seasons with Minnesota Aurora in the USL W League, beginning with the club’s inaugural campaign in 2022. Aurora established themselves as one of the leading teams in the North American summer amateur competition, winning four consecutive Heartland Division titles and reaching the league semi-finals in 2023 and 2025.
Brown also played for Minnesota Aurora in 2025 and 2026, having previously appeared for North Carolina Courage's U-23 side in the W League. She attended the University of Minnesota and UNC Charlotte after developing through the Courage's Elite Club National League programme.
Trewhitt, a New Zealand youth international at U-17 and U-20 level, joined Spartak from Lewes FC in England. She had previously made an appearance for Wellington United in New Zealand's National League.
The club's recruitment illustrates how the Europa Cup can bring together players who have progressed through different development systems, from American college football and summer leagues to European professional clubs and national youth teams.
Champions League dropouts dominate second round
The second qualifying round took place on September 23 and 30, with seven teams advancing from the Europa Cup's opening stage. Eleven clubs entered after being eliminated in the Champions League's second qualifying round, while nine arrived following the third qualifying round.
The results reinforced the strength of the clubs dropping down from the Champions League, although there were several compelling individual performances and a memorable result in Kazakhstan.
Fenerbahçe defeated FC Minsk 5-1 on aggregate, winning both legs. Belarus international Viktoryia Valiuk scored in the first match, but Cameroon striker Marie Ngah responded with two goals late in the first half.
Valiuk, 24, had played for Vitória Sport Clube in Portugal earlier in 2026 before returning to Minsk. She previously represented clubs in Belarus, China and Russia, including Dinamo Minsk and Krylya Sovetov.
Fenerbahçe's victory ended Minsk's European campaign, despite the Belarusian side having started the season directly in the Europa Cup.
Torreense also progressed against a club that had begun the campaign in the Champions League, defeating Metalist 1925 Kharkiv 6-2 on aggregate. American forward Janine Lakip scored twice in the first-leg victory, played in Chişinău, Moldova, because of the war in Ukraine. Only 65 spectators attended the match.
Lakip scored again in the return leg as Torreense continued their European run.
Ajax make a statement as Aktobe claim a memorable win
Ajax produced one of the most convincing performances of the second qualifying round, defeating Kazakhstan's Aktobe 8-1 on aggregate.
Swiss international midfielder Ella Touon scored a hat-trick in the 8-0 first-leg victory. Born in Germany, the 23-year-old joined Ajax from 1. FC Köln after spending part of the previous season on loan at SGS Essen.
Dutch international forward Katja Snoeijs added two goals. She joined Ajax after four seasons with Everton in England's Women's Super League, where she scored 16 times in 75 regular-season appearances.
Aktobe nevertheless enjoyed a moment to remember in the return leg. American midfielder Morgan Rees scored the only goal in a 1-0 home victory in front of 4,200 supporters.
The result could not overturn the damage from the first leg, but it provided a significant European occasion for the Kazakh club.
German side VfL Wolfsburg defeated Sturm Graz 8-1 on aggregate, winning 6-1 away before completing the job with a 2-0 home victory.
Wolfsburg's international recruitment included players from Austria, France, Norway, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Switzerland. Slovenian international Lara Prasnikar returned to Germany in August after leaving NWSL club Utah Royals.
Sparta Prague also advanced comfortably, beating Romania's Farul Constanța 8-1 on aggregate.
Sparta Prague's American contingent
Sparta Prague's squad featured four Americans, including forward Hallie Bergford, who has already established herself as an important attacking player in the Czech Republic.
Bergford, 24, scored 12 goals in 19 regular-season matches last season and has added four goals in seven appearances in the current campaign. She also scored an extra-time goal in last season's Europa Cup, helping Sparta reach the semi-finals.
The club won the Czech league and cup double in 2025-26, with Bergford named in the league's Best XI by her fellow players.
Defender Tori Hansen is in her second season with Sparta after playing for Brooklyn FC in the inaugural USL Super League campaign and spending time with Melbourne Victory in Australia's A-League Women on loan from Orlando Pride.
Hansen played four seasons at the University of North Carolina, scoring nine goals in 65 matches. She was part of the college programme that finished as national runner-up in 2019 and 2022.
Midfielder Hope Breslin joined after two seasons with Brooklyn FC. Her career has also included appearances for Angel City in the NWSL, Wellington Phoenix in Australia and the University of Illinois.
American forward Elizabeth Ospeck is another returning player, having scored ten league goals in 17 appearances last season.
England-born forward Kess Elmore, who joined Sparta for 2026-27, has previously played for Saint-Étienne in France, Brooklyn FC and Austria's St. Pölten. She played collegiately at the University of Connecticut and the University of Oregon and represented England at youth level.
Malmö and Feyenoord progress
Malmö FF defeated Austria's St. Pölten 5-0 on aggregate, winning both legs. American midfielder Isabella D'Aquila scored in the return match.
D'Aquila was selected by Portland Thorns with the 12th overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NWSL College Draft after playing at Santa Clara University. She moved to Malmö in January 2025 on a two-year contract.
The Swedish club's rise through the domestic divisions has been striking. After winning promotion in 2024, Malmö returned to the country's top flight for the first time in several years, having progressed through the Swedish women's pyramid from Division 4 Skåne Sydvästra, which they won in 2020.
Feyenoord also reached the next round, defeating Vålerenga 5-3 on aggregate despite losing the second leg 2-1.
The Dutch club has seven overseas players, including three from Japan. Defender Rio Sasaki joined this summer on a two-year contract after progressing through Japan's JFA Academy Fukushima and playing for Mynavi Sendai Ladies.
Sasaki made 54 appearances for Sendai and represented Japan at the 2024 U-20 Women's World Cup in Colombia. She earned her first senior international cap in April 2025 against Colombia, then played the full match in Japan's 6-1 victory over the same opponents two days later.
She described the move to Rotterdam as an opportunity to continue developing at a major club and contribute to the team's ambitions.
Japanese defender Akari Takeshige and midfielder Kokona Iwasaki are also part of Feyenoord's squad, underlining the club's links with Japanese women's football.
Rosenborg produce the comeback of the round
One of the most dramatic ties came between Slovan Liberec and Rosenborg, with the Norwegian side overturning a 3-1 first-leg deficit to win 5-4 on aggregate.
Czech youth international Sarlota Truxová scored twice in the first half of the opening match to put Slovan in a strong position. Rosenborg needed a response in Trondheim and delivered an extraordinary start.
Norwegian youth international Cille Nielsen scored twice within the first 15 minutes, before Oline Fuglum added a third in the 21st minute to give Rosenborg a 3-0 lead on the night and put the tie back in the balance.
Slovan's Kateřina Vítová scored three minutes later, restoring aggregate parity and setting up a tense finish.
Rosenborg defender Synne Aunehaugen settled the contest with an 85th-minute goal, completing a stirring comeback and sending the Norwegian club through.
Rosenborg are now one of only two clubs still involved that began the European season in the Europa Cup itself, rather than entering from the Champions League qualifying rounds.
Their progress highlights the value of the competition for clubs outside Europe's traditional elite, although the remaining draw will present a considerably tougher challenge.
Brann, Real Sociedad and Frankfurt advance
Norway will have two representatives in the Round of 16 after Brann defeated Finland's HJK 6-0 on aggregate. Brann won 2-0 away before completing a 4-0 victory at home.
Real Sociedad eliminated Heart of Midlothian 4-0, following a goalless first leg in Scotland. The Spanish side's international squad includes American defender Ava Seelenfreund, who joined this summer after two and a half seasons with Portuguese club Torreense.
Seelenfreund scored 17 goals in 38 appearances for Torreense after playing collegiately at Brown University, where she recorded 25 goals in 69 matches. She chose to turn professional in Portugal rather than wait for the 2024 NWSL College Draft.
Chilean forward Sonya Keefe is another of Real Sociedad's overseas players. She has played in Spain for Cáceres, DUX Logroño and Granada after beginning her European career in 2023-24. Keefe also represented Chile in futsal at U-20 level.
Eintracht Frankfurt defeated Icelandic side FH 5-1 on aggregate. Swedish international forward Rebecka Blomqvist scored from the penalty spot in the first leg, before Frankfurt won the return 4-1.
FH's squad included American defender Deja Sandoval, who progressed from Iceland's second tier to the top flight with FHL before joining FH, and midfielder Mackenzie Smith, who previously helped Fram earn promotion.
New Zealand international Helena Errington and Bermuda forward Nia Christopher also featured in the Icelandic club's international recruitment.
Spartak Myjava edge PAOK
Slovakian side Spartak Myjava advanced after a 4-3 aggregate victory over PAOK of Greece.
Forward Stela Semanová scored twice in the first half of the opening match to lead Myjava to a 3-2 away victory. The Slovak international has 19 senior caps and has previously played professionally in Greece, Hungary and Italy.
American forward Madelyn Dougherty is among Myjava's overseas players. The Hawaii native played three seasons at Sacramento State and one at Cal Poly before joining the club, having also competed for California Storm in the Women's Premier Soccer League.
PAOK's international squad included Brazilian goalkeeper Dani Neuhaus, who is in her fourth season with the club after playing for Benfica and Santos.
Welsh defender Grace Morris joined this season after playing college football at Florida International University and Cumberland University in Tennessee.
Cypriot midfielder Eirini Michail also arrived after an outstanding spell with Asteras Tripolis, where she scored 26 goals in 16 regular-season matches over the previous two seasons.
North Macedonian forward Lence Andreevska brings extensive experience of European football. She scored nine goals in eight appearances for PAOK last season as the club won the Greek league and cup, adding to a career that has included league titles in Albania and five championships in North Macedonia.
Hammarby eliminate Rangers
Hammarby defeated Rangers 5-0 on aggregate, winning 2-0 away before recording a 3-0 home victory.
The Swedish club were runners-up in last season's Europa Cup, losing to fellow Swedish side Häcken in the final, and have again assembled a squad with substantial international experience.
Hammarby's overseas contingent includes 11 players, among them English defender Jessica Pegram, who joined on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion through June 2027.
Pegram spent the previous season with Rangers, making 19 appearances in the Scottish Women's Premier League. She has been with Brighton since 2022, signed her first professional contract last season and has represented England at U-17 and U-19 level.
The move gives the young defender a return to European competition with a club that has ambitions of going one step further than last season.
Fortuna Hjørring fall to PSV
Dutch side PSV Eindhoven advanced at the expense of Fortuna Hjørring, winning 1-0 away and drawing 0-0 in Denmark to progress by the same aggregate score.
Fortuna had 11 overseas players representing seven countries. Colombian defender Samantha Rodríguez joined after appearing at the recent U-20 Women's World Cup in Poland, where Colombia finished third.
American defender Kaitlyn Parcell has been with Fortuna since January 2024, having previously played for MSV Duisburg in Germany and collegiately at Santa Clara and Georgetown.
Janelle Cordia, also American, is in her 11th season across two spells with the Danish club. She has also played in Finland and Italy.
Midfielder Ashley Riefner has built a career across Nordic football, including spells with clubs in Finland and Denmark before joining Fortuna in 2022. Japanese forward Risako Watanabe is in her third season after moving from Urawa Reds in 2024.
Despite their experience, Fortuna could not find a way past PSV, leaving the Dutch club to continue their European campaign.
Round of 16 promises a tougher test
The draw has produced eight ties for October 28-29 and November 10-11, with the return legs determining who reaches the quarter-finals in February.
The matchups are:
- PSV Eindhoven vs Eintracht Frankfurt
- Real Sociedad vs Fenerbahçe
- Brann vs Czarni Sosnowiec
- Sparta Prague vs Torreense
- Spartak Myjava vs Hammarby
- Ajax vs Malmö FF
- Rosenborg vs Brøndby
- Wolfsburg vs Feyenoord
The draw offers several intriguing contrasts. Ajax will face Malmö after the Dutch side's emphatic victory over Aktobe and the Swedes' progress against St. Pölten. Sparta Prague meet Torreense, who have already scored heavily in both qualifying rounds.
Rosenborg's reward for their comeback against Slovan Liberec is a meeting with Brøndby, while Feyenoord face Wolfsburg, one of the strongest clubs to enter from the Champions League pathway.
Only Rosenborg and Feyenoord remain from the teams that began the season in the Europa Cup. Every other Round of 16 club entered the competition at some point after being eliminated from the 2026-27 Women's Champions League.
That pattern reflects the tournament's role as a second route into European competition, offering clubs a chance to continue their continental campaigns after falling short in the Champions League.
For players such as Zbiljić, Brown, Bergford, D'Aquila and Seelenfreund, the competition also provides another platform for careers that have crossed college football, North American leagues and European professional teams.
The next two rounds will reveal whether the clubs arriving from the Champions League maintain their advantage or whether the likes of Rosenborg and Feyenoord can continue to challenge teams with greater European pedigree. After a qualifying campaign featuring big aggregate wins, individual breakthroughs and one remarkable Norwegian comeback, the Europa Cup's first knockout stage should offer a clearer picture of the competition's growing depth.
- Read the full version at Tim Grainey's Substack. His latest book is Beyond Bend it Like Beckham on the global game of women’s football. Get your copy today. Follow Tim on Twitter: @TimGrainey