The JD Cymru Premier representatives in European football for 2025/26 discovered their first qualifying round opponents in today’s draws in Nyon.
In the UEFA Champions League, The New Saints will meet KF Shkendija who were crowned champions of North Macedonia in 2024/25 – their fifth league title.
It is the second time that the two sides have been pitted against each other in the first qualifying round, after Shkendija won 5-4 on aggregate in the 2018/19 season. The North Macedonians won 5-0 at home in the first leg before the Saints threatened a remarkable comeback in the second leg at Park Hall but came up just short.
Shkendija also met Haverfordwest County in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa Conference League in 2023/24, when the Bluebirds famously progressed on penalties at the Cardiff City Stadium after a 1-1 aggregate draw over two legs.
If TNS are victorious in their first qualifying round tie, they will meet the winners of the tie between FC Steaua București of Romania and Inter Club d’Escaldes of Andorra in the second qualifying round.
If the Saints lose their first qualifying round tie, they will meet the losers of the tie between FC Drita of Kosovo and FC Differdange 03 of Luxembourg in the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round.
In the UEFA Conference League, Penybont’s second European campaign will take them to Lithuania to take on FK Kauno Zalgiris.
After a third-place finish in the 2024 season, the club are currently top of the Lithuanian A Lyga and chasing their first top-flight title. Their six previous European ties have yielded just one win, against Europa FC of Gibraltar in the UEFA Europa Conference League first qualifying round 2021.
They would meet The New Saints in the next round but Anthony Limbrick’s side would run out 10-1 winners on aggregate – the biggest ever two-legged victory for a JD Cymru Premier side in Europe.
If Penybont are victorious in their first qualifying round tie, they will meet the winners of the tie between Valur of Iceland and FC Flora Tallinn of Estonia in the second qualifying round.
Meanwhile, Haverfordwest County will head to Malta – home of former players Oscar Borg and Luke Tabone – to take on Floriana.
Record 26-time champions of the Maltese Premier League – but not since 2020 – Floriana have been regulars in European football since the 1960s, coming up against the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan and Porto.
Their only previous tie against Welsh opposition came in 1999 when they triumphed 4-3 on aggregate against Aberystwyth Town in the Intertoto Cup first round.
If Haverfordwest are victorious in their first qualifying round tie, they will meet Kosovan side FC Ballkani in the second qualifying round.
All first qualifying round first legs will be played in the week commencing 7 July, before the second legs in the week commencing 14 July. Exact dates, kick-off times and home/away allocations will be confirmed by UEFA in due course.
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