It is the question every Spurs fan seems to be typing into Google lately: when are the next europa league tottenham fixtures? You’re looking for Thursdays under the lights. You’re ready for another deep run in Europe's secondary competition. Maybe you even have a bit of nostalgia for that wild night in May 2025 when Spurs finally lifted a major trophy by beating Manchester United in the final.
But here is the thing. You actually won't find any Tottenham fixtures in the Europa League for the 2025/26 season.
Seriously.
Because Tottenham won the Europa League last year, they earned an automatic ticket to the "Big Table"—the UEFA Champions League. Under the new UEFA format, there is no "dropping down" from the Champions League to the Europa League anymore. Once you're in the elite tier, you either stay or go home. There is no safety net.
The Champions League Reality Check
Tottenham are currently navigating a brutal league phase in the Champions League, not the Europa League. If you've been looking at the calendar and seeing names like Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, and Monaco, that is why. Thomas Frank—who took the reins and has been steering this ship—has had his hands full with a schedule that looks nothing like the one from last year.
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Spurs have already put in some massive shifts. They beat Villarreal 1-0 and absolutely dismantled Copenhagen 4-0. But the real headline was that insane 5-3 victory over PSG back in November. It felt like the old "To Dare Is To Do" spirit was actually back.
If you are still searching for europa league tottenham fixtures because you want to see who the Premier League representatives are, you should be looking at Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa. They are the ones carrying the flag in that competition this year.
Where Spurs Stand Right Now (January 2026)
Since we are sitting in mid-January 2026, the Champions League "league phase" is hitting its boiling point. Tottenham aren't playing on Thursdays; they are playing on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
Here is what the immediate horizon looks like for the club:
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- January 20, 2026: Tottenham vs. Borussia Dortmund (Home)
- January 28, 2026: Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Tottenham (Away)
These two matches are basically "win or go home" scenarios for securing a spot in the top eight of the league table. If they finish in the top eight, they bypass the messy playoff round in February and go straight to the Round of 16 in March. If they finish between 9th and 24th, they’ll be playing a two-legged playoff on February 17/18 and February 24/25.
It's stressful. It's high stakes. It's exactly where the club wanted to be when they were grinding through those Europa League nights last season.
Why People Are Confused About the Schedule
It’s honestly easy to see why the confusion exists. For years, we were used to the "third-place drop-down." If a team finished third in their Champions League group, they’d magically appear in the Europa League knockout rounds.
UEFA killed that.
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Now, the 36-team league phase is a closed ecosystem. If Spurs fail to finish in the top 24 of the Champions League table, their European journey ends entirely for the season. There are no europa league tottenham fixtures waiting as a consolation prize.
The domestic form hasn't exactly been a cakewalk either. Losing 2-1 to Aston Villa in the FA Cup on January 10 was a bitter pill to swallow. Then there was that 3-2 slip-up against Bournemouth. Thomas Frank is facing his first real "North London winter" of discontent, and the Champions League is the only place left to find some glory.
What to Watch For Next
If you are a fan trying to plan your travel or just your Tuesday nights, keep your eyes on the UEFA coefficients. Tottenham’s performance in these final two league phase games against Dortmund and Frankfurt will dictate their entire spring.
Missing out on the top eight means adding two more high-intensity games to an already congested February schedule that includes matches against Manchester City, Manchester United, and Arsenal.
Actionable Steps for Fans:
- Sync your calendar for January 20 and January 28. These are the "final" group-style games before the knockouts are decided.
- Check the Champions League table immediately after the Frankfurt game on Jan 28. This is when you'll know if Spurs have a "free" February or if they'll be playing in the playoff round.
- Ignore any sites listing Europa League playoff dates for Tottenham; those are outdated or just plain wrong based on last year’s victory.
The road to Istanbul (where the 2026 finals are held) is a lot steeper this year. But for once, the white shirts of North London are walking the path of the giants.