Road to Europe: How Ajax can qualify for the UEFA conference league

It’s not a position Ajax are used to, but the Dutch giants must now navigate the UEFA Conference League qualifying rounds if they are to return to European league-stage football. Here’s every obstacle standing between Ajax and the Conference League league phase.

After one of the worst seasons in the club’s modern history, Ajax were forced into the Eredivisie play-offs after recording their joint-lowest points tally since 1963.

The Amsterdam club, then managed by Oscar Garcia, secured their European lifeline by beating FC Groningen 2-0 before overcoming FC Utrecht on penalties in the play-off final. The match was played in Volendam after the Johan Cruyff ArenA was unavailable due to Harry Styles’ 10-show residency.

That play-off triumph earned the four-time European champions a place in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League, leaving Ajax three rounds away from reaching the league phase.

Ajax’s route to the Conference League league phase

Second qualifying round

Ajax began their European campaign against Serbian runners-up Vojvodina Novi Sad, who finished second in the Championship Group of the Serbian Super Liga, three points clear of traditional powerhouse Partizan.

Vojvodina dropped into the Conference League after suffering a 5-1 aggregate defeat to Hungarian champions Ferencvaros in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.

The tie marked the second consecutive season that Ajax and Vojvodina met in European qualifying after also facing each other in the 2024 Europa League qualifiers. On that occasion, Ajax progressed 4-1 on aggregate in Francesco Farioli’s first competitive matches as head coach.

History repeated itself.

Ajax produced another dominant display in Serbia, with Davy Klaassen, Steven Berghuis, Oscar Gloukh and debutant Mohamed Abdalla all finding the net in a convincing 4-1 first-leg victory.

The return leg in Amsterdam proved even more comfortable. Klaassen added another goal while Gloukh stole the show with a hat-trick, as Ajax recorded another 4-1 win to complete an emphatic 8-2 aggregate success.

Results

• July 23: Vojvodina Novi Sad 1-4 Ajax
• July 30: Ajax 4-1 Vojvodina Novi Sad

Third qualifying round

Ajax’s reward is a third qualifying round meeting with Irish side Shelbourne.

Shelbourne finished third in the 2025 League of Ireland Premier Division but have struggled to maintain that level this season. After 25 matches of the 2026 campaign, they sit fifth, eight points outside the European qualification places and 16 points behind leaders Shamrock Rovers.

Ajax took a major step towards the play-offs in the first leg in Amsterdam. Despite creating chances worth an outstanding 6.08 expected goals (xG), they had to settle for a 3-1 victory, leaving the tie firmly in their hands ahead of the return in Dublin.

Fixtures

• August 6: Ajax 3-1 Shelbourne
• August 13: Shelbourne vs Ajax (19:00 CET)

Play-off round

Should Ajax eliminate Shelbourne, one final hurdle will stand between them and the Conference League league phase.

Their opponents will be either Armenian side FC Noah or Swiss club FC Sion.

Noah made history last season by becoming the first Armenian club ever to reach the knockout stages of the UEFA Conference League. They famously beat AZ Alkmaar 1-0 at home before eventually exiting 4-1 on aggregate. Domestically, Noah finished second in the Armenian Premier League, four points behind champions Ararat-Armenia.

Sion, meanwhile, qualified after finishing fourth in the Swiss Super League. The two-time Swiss champions are appearing in European qualifying for the first time since 2017, when they were eliminated by Lithuanian side Suduva in the Europa League qualifiers.

Potential play-off fixtures

• August 20: Noah/Sion vs Ajax/Shelbourne (time TBC)
• August 27: Ajax/Shelbourne vs Noah/Sion (time TBC)

Three wins from the league phase

Ajax have already negotiated the first step of their European journey and now sit just two ties away from reaching the UEFA Conference League league phase.

Victory over Shelbourne would set up a decisive play-off against either Noah or Sion, with a place back in the league phase of a European competition the ultimate prize.

For a club of Ajax’s stature, anything less would be considered another disappointing chapter. But after last season’s struggles, the road back to Europe is now firmly in their own hands.