On Monday, the playoff pairings for all three European competitions are drawn in Nyon. If Dinamo gets past Kauno Žalgiris, they'll be among the seeded teams-here's who could stand in their way.
Today is a decisive day for Croatian clubs in Europe. While Dinamo, Hajduk, and Rijeka prepare for their first third-round qualifying matches, the draw for the final qualifying stage-the playoffs-takes place in Nyon, Switzerland. At exactly noon, the Blues will learn their potential opponent in the battle for the Champions League league phase.
Regardless of the outcome of their tie against Lithuanian side Kauno Žalgiris, led by Croatian coach Željko Sopić, Dinamo will feature in the playoffs. The only question is whether it will be in the Champions League or the Europa League. If Mario Kovačević's side gets past Žalgiris, they will be seeded in the fourth qualifying round of the Champions League.
Potential opponents in that case include Austria's LASK, Norway's Viking, and the winners of the ties between Celje and Ararat, Kairat Almaty and Levski Sofia, and Aarhus and Sabah. By all accounts, the toughest draw would be LASK from Linz, but Dinamo should be favorites against any of the aforementioned rivals.
Even in the worst-case scenario-elimination by Kauno Žalgiris and then a playoff defeat in the Europa League-the Blues are assured of a group-stage spot in the Conference League. This guarantees Dinamo a European autumn. The first legs of the Champions League playoffs are scheduled for August 18 or 19, with the return legs on August 25 or 26, 2026.
Meanwhile, Dinamo has already turned its attention to the upcoming challenges on social media. "Warm up your voices, cool down your palms-in two days, we fight for the Champions League at Maksimir!" the club said, announcing the match against Žalgiris. They also praised Stjepan Radeljić, who played his first full 90 minutes in the blue jersey yesterday.
Unlike Dinamo, Hajduk and Rijeka have no room for error. Only advancing past the third qualifying round takes them to the Conference League playoffs. Hajduk, who dropped into Conference League qualifying after being eliminated by Cyprus's Pafos, will play away in Lithuania against Žalgiris Vilnius on Thursday at 7 PM, with the return leg at Poljud.
UEFA has already released the sub-groups for the Conference League draw, which starts at 2 PM. If they get past Žalgiris, Hajduk's potential playoff opponents are: the loser of the Jagiellonia vs. Glasgow Rangers tie, the loser of the PAOK vs. Anderlecht tie, and the winners of the Debrecen vs. Copenhagen, Rakow vs. Hammarby, and Ajax vs. Shelbourne ties.
Alongside the European qualifiers, Dinamo has also announced the 23rd edition of the iconic Mladen Ramljak tournament, set to take place from August 6 to 9, 2026. Eight clubs from six countries will compete, including renowned European academies such as Club Brugge, Juventus, Benfica, Ajax, Athletic Bilbao, Bologna, as well as Hajduk and Dinamo. Admission to all matches is free, and broadcasts will be available on the Dinamo Plus platform.
