Ajax, Feyenoord, and PSV qualify for 16-team Europa Cup main tournament
Ajax, Feyenoord, and PSV secured spots in the Europa Cup round of 16 on Wednesday after concluding their two-legged qualifying ties across Europe.
Qualification for the Europa Cup main tournament
Three Dutch women's football clubs, Ajax, Feyenoord, and PSV, secured their places on 30 September 2026 in the main tournament of the Europa Cup. The competition serves as the second European club tournament for women's football behind the Champions League. Ajax and Feyenoord entered their second-leg ties holding significant leads from their home matches, while PSV required a sustained defensive effort throughout the full 90 minutes in Denmark to confirm their progression.
- Ajax defeats Aktobe 8-0, Feyenoord beats Valerenga 4-1, and PSV wins 1-0 against Fortuna Hjorring.
- All three Dutch clubs secure aggregate qualification during their second-leg return matches.
- The official draw takes place for the 16-team round of 16 knockout stage.
- The round of 16 begins with two-legged home-and-away knockout ties.
Ajax advances despite away defeat in Kazakhstan
Ajax entered their return fixture in Kazakhstan with a commanding advantage after recording an 8-0 victory over WFC Aktobe at Sportpark De Toekomst. Head coach Anouk Bruil altered the starting lineup for the away leg, leaving team captain and record international Sherida Spitse in the Netherlands and awarding 17-year-old Jade Otteman her first starting appearance for the club.
The Dutch side controlled possession at a deliberate pace but failed to convert their scoring opportunities against an Aktobe defense that had conceded eight goals the week before. In the 83rd minute, the Kazakh champions regained the ball in Ajax's half of the pitch with goalkeeper Danae van der Vliet caught out of position. American forward Morgan Rees scored with a long-range shot to give Aktobe a 1-0 win on the day, though Ajax advanced comfortably on aggregate.
Feyenoord withstands Norwegian pressure in Oslo
Feyenoord traveled to Norway defending a 4-1 advantage established in their opening home leg against Valerenga. The Norwegian hosts controlled the tempo of the return match, creating the majority of chances while seeking to overturn the three-goal deficit. Valerenga broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute with a 1-0 opening goal to build late pressure.
Feyenoord responded to diminish the tension when Fleur Stoit scored an equalizing goal to make it 1-1 and re-establish a three-goal overall cushion. Valerenga scored again in second-half stoppage time to finish with a 2-1 victory on the night, but the final goal arrived too late to alter the outcome of the two-legged tie.
PSV protects narrow lead against Fortuna Hjorring
PSV faced the closest contest among the three Dutch sides after securing a 1-0 victory in their opening leg in Eindhoven. Traveling to Denmark for the return fixture against Fortuna Hjorring, PSV adopted an attacking approach from kickoff to put pressure on the host team rather than solely defending the single-goal lead.
Fortuna Hjorring needed a goal to level the aggregate score but generated few scoring chances against PSV's defense throughout the contest. PSV created multiple attacking opportunities, particularly after halftime, but were unable to find the net. The match ended in a 0-0 draw, confirming PSV's qualification based on their 1-0 aggregate victory.
Knockout format and upcoming draw
The Europa Cup main tournament consists of 16 qualified teams competing in a two-legged knockout format from the round of 16 through to the final. Every round in the competition is played across home and away matches. The official draw for the round of 16 takes place on Friday, 2 October 2026, with the opening fixtures scheduled for late October 2026.
