Who will our North Wales clubs face in Europe? The draws have been made…..

Caernarfon Town and Connah’s Quay Nomads have discovered their opponents in Europe.

In the UEFA Conference League, Welsh Cup winners Caernarfon meet Estonian side FCI Levadia Tallinn, while Nomads take on FC Ballkani of Kosovo

The JD Cymru Premier representatives in European football for 2026/27 discovered their first and second qualifying round opponents in the UEFA draws in Nyon.

John Disney’s Nomads will be at home in the first leg – at Colwyn Bay’s Blue Turtle Arena – before travelling away in the return.

Three-time champions of Kosovo, FC Ballkani finished third in the table last season. They have strong pedigree on the continent, having reached the group stage of the UEFA Conference League in 2022/23 and 2023/24.

Should the Nomads come through their tie against the Kosovans, they will progress to the second qualifying round, where they will face the winner of the first qualifying round clash between Bohemians of Ireland and St Joseph’s of Gibraltar.

Caernarfon Town will also be at home in their first leg, welcoming Tallinn to The Oval before visiting Estonua for the second instalment.

FCI Levadia Tallinn have won the Estonian top-flight on 11 previous occasions, most recently in 2024, and currently sit 10 points clear at the top of the table – and unbeaten – midway through the 2026 campaign. Regulars in European competition, they have previously beaten both The New Saints and Bala Town.

If the Cofis come through their tie, they will be rewarded with a testing second qualifying round encounter against Swedish giants IFK Göteborg.

In the UEFA Champions League, The New Saints will meet Azerbaijan side Sabah, while Penybont face a rematch against FC Santa Coloma of Andorra – who they also met in the first qualifying round three years ago. Bont will host the first leg at Cardiff City Stadium, before travelling away in the second leg.
FC Santa Coloma were 3-1 winners on aggregate in that tie in 2023/24 and went on to reach the third qualifying round that season.

• All first qualifying round first legs will be played in the week commencing 6 July, before the second legs in the week commencing 13 July. The second qualifying round first legs will take place on 23 July, with the return fixtures scheduled for 30 July.
  

Exact dates and kick-off times for both qualifying rounds will be confirmed by UEFA in due course.

CAERNARFON TOWN AND CONNAH’S QUAY NOMADS IN EUROPE

CONNAH’S QUAY NOMADS

2016–17
UEFA Europa League
1Q Stabæk (Norway) 0–0; 1–0 (aggregate 1–0)
2Q Vojvodina (Serbia) 1–2; 0–1 (aggregate 1–3)

2017–18
UEFA Europa League
1Q HJK Helsinki (Finland) 1–0 0–3 (1–3)

2018–19
UEFA Europa League
1Q Shakhtyor Soligorsk (Belarus) 1–3 0–2 (1–5)

2019–20
UEFA Europa League
1Q Kilmarnock (Scotland) 1–2 2–0 (3–2)
2Q Partizan (Serbia) 0–1 0–3 (0–4)

2020–21
UEFA Champions League
1Q Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) 0–2 (one-legged affair rather than normal two due to fixture pressures caused by the coronavirus lockdown).
UEFA Europa League
2Q Dinamo Tbilisi (Georgia) 0–1 (one-legged tie due to coronavirus)

2021–22
UEFA Champions League
1Q Alashkert (Armenia) 2–2 0–1 (aet) (2–3)
UEFA Europa Conference League
2Q Pristina (Kosovo) 4−2 1−4 (5−6)

2023–24
UEFA Europa Conference League
1Q KA (Iceland) 0–2 0–2 (0–4)

2024–25
UEFA Conference League
1Q Bravo (Slovenia) 0−2 1–0 (1−2)

MATCHES: 22
WINS: 5
DRAWS: 2
LOSSES: 15
GOALS SCORED: 15
GOALS CONCEDED: 35

CAERNARFON TOWN

2024-25

UEFA Conference League

1Q Crusaders (Northern Ireland) 2-0 1-3 (Aggregate 3-3 – Caernarfon won 8-7 on pens)

2Q Legia Warsaw (Poland) 05, 9-6 (0-11)

MATCHES 4

WINS: 1

LOSSES: 3

GOALS SCORED: 3

GOALS CONCEDED 14