Bodø/Glimt face Union Saint-Gilloise in Champions League qualifier

Bodø/Glimt, the feel-good story of last season's Champions League, begins its quest to return to the main competition against Union Saint-Gilloise in the third qualifying round. The draw on Monday pitted two of European soccer's best-run, low-budget clubs against each other.

Bodø/Glimt, hailing from a Norwegian fishing town within the Arctic Circle, captivated fans with a remarkable run to the round of 16 last season. Their journey included stunning victories over giants like Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, and Inter Milan in early 2026. This season, however, as runner-up in the Norwegian league, Bodø/Glimt faces an additional qualifying hurdle.

The first leg is scheduled for August 4 or 5 in Brussels against the Belgian league runner-up, Union. Bodø/Glimt will host the return match at their 8,000-capacity Aspmyra Stadium on August 11. The winner of this tie will advance to the playoff round, with a coveted spot in the lucrative 36-team main phase of the Champions League at stake.

In other qualifying draws, Lyon, now majority-owned by American businesswoman Michele Kang, was paired with Sparta Prague. Olympiakos, the 2024 Conference League champions, will play NEC Nijmegen, a surprise third-place finisher in the Netherlands last season. Several second qualifying round matches commenced today, including Fenerbahce against Gornik Zabrze, and Sturm Graz against Heart of Midlothian.