OFI has learned its eight opponents for the UEFA Europa League League Phase, setting up a remarkable European adventure for the Greek Cup holders and their supporters.
Four of OFI’s European nights will take place at the Pankritio Stadium, where Crete will welcome Bayer Leverkusen, Hoffenheim, Anderlecht and Lech Poznań.
The four away matches will take OFI to Lisbon to face Benfica, to France to meet Rennes, to Austria to play Sturm Graz, and to a neutral venue for the match against Hapoel Be’er Sheva, with Bucharest among the possible locations.
The draw gives OFI an extraordinary mixture of European football powerhouses, historic clubs and destinations that will send supporters traveling across the continent.
OFI’s Europa League League Phase Matches
| Opponent | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Bayer Leverkusen 🇩🇪 | Home | Pankritio Stadium, Heraklion |
| S.L. Benfica 🇵🇹 | Away | Estádio da Luz, Lisbon |
| RSC Anderlecht 🇧🇪 | Home | Pankritio Stadium, Heraklion |
| Stade Rennais 🇫🇷 | Away | Roazhon Park, Rennes |
| SK Sturm Graz 🇦🇹 | Away | Merkur Arena, Graz |
| Lech Poznań 🇵🇱 | Home | Pankritio Stadium, Heraklion |
| TSG 1899 Hoffenheim 🇩🇪 | Home | Pankritio Stadium, Heraklion |
| Hapoel Be’er Sheva 🇮🇱 | Away | Neutral venue, to be confirmed |
The League Phase begins on September 16-17, 2026, and concludes on January 28, 2027. OFI will play eight matches, with four at home and four away. UEFA has confirmed the League Phase dates, while the exact fixture order and kick-off times are being finalized.
For Crete, however, this is about much more than a football schedule.
A European Stage for Crete
OFI is deeply woven into the identity of Heraklion and the island. The club’s first appearance in the Europa League league phase gives Crete a European sporting stage of its own, with the Pankritio set to welcome some of the biggest clubs to play on the island.
The home matches are also likely to bring visiting supporters to Crete, turning European football into a small travel event in its own right. Fans arriving for the games will have the chance to experience Heraklion and the wider island beyond the stadium.
At the same time, thousands of Cretans and Greek supporters are expected to travel for the away fixtures.
The destinations are particularly attractive for football travelers, with Lisbon, Rennes, Graz and the eventual neutral venue for the Hapoel Be’er Sheva match all becoming part of OFI’s European story.
From Heraklion to Lisbon
The biggest names in OFI’s draw include Bayer Leverkusen and Benfica, both from the top seeding pot.
Leverkusen will come to the Pankritio, while OFI will travel to Lisbon to meet Benfica, where Greek international Vangelis Pavlidis plays.
Anderlecht and Rennes add further heavyweight European opposition, while Hoffenheim, Sturm Graz and Lech Poznań bring three more clubs with established European experience.
The Hapoel Be’er Sheva fixture is the unusual one. Because of the current circumstances surrounding Israeli clubs, the match is expected to be played at a neutral venue rather than in Israel. Bucharest has been mentioned as a possible location, although the final venue has not yet been confirmed.
The Road Ahead
The eight League Phase matchdays are scheduled for:
- September 16-17, 2026
- October 15, 2026
- October 22, 2026
- November 5, 2026
- November 26, 2026
- December 10, 2026
- January 21, 2027
- January 28, 2027
The first stage uses UEFA’s 36-team League Phase format. Each club plays eight different opponents, with four matches at home and four away.
The knockout phase play-offs are scheduled for February 18 and 25, followed by the round of 16 in March. The Europa League final will take place in Frankfurt on May 26, 2027.
Can’t Travel? Here’s How to Watch OFI
For Cretans who cannot follow the team around Europe, the good news is that all Greek teams’ Europa League matches will be available through COSMOTE TV, while ANT1 also has rights to broadcast selected matches.
OFI’s recent Europa League qualifying matches have been broadcast live on COSMOTE TV, and ANT1+ also offers access to UEFA Europa League and Conference League content on its platform.
The exact channel and kick-off time for each OFI match will be announced with the finalized fixture schedule.
For viewers using ANT1+, the service can be watched on supported Smart TVs and mobile devices, with casting and AirPlay available where supported.
A Moment for the Island
Mayor of Heraklion Alexis Kalokairinos expressed the civic pride felt across the island following OFI’s European qualification:
“What a team this is! With exemplary positioning and development, with simplicity and substance in their passing game. With composure and nerve. With soul.”
Kalokairinos highlighted the deep roots connecting the club directly to the identity of the city and island:
“And now, to Europe and the Pankritio Stadium, alongside high-performance teams—a category to which OFI now rightfully belongs. See you at the stadium!”
And OFI will take Crete with it when it travels to Lisbon, Rennes, Graz and beyond. For the island, this is not simply eight football matches. It is eight nights for Crete to shine brighter than ever on Europe’s map.
