By Yossi Medina and Eden Roitfarb
The Europa Conference League group stage has finally begun, and here are the best moments from the first matchday.
All Matchday 1 Europa Conference League results#UECL
— UEFA Europa Conference League (@europacnfleague) September 8, 2022
The Hammers finally break their Romanian losing streak
West Ham United have a long history of being beaten by Romanian clubs. With the memory fresh in their head of being knocked out twice by Astra Giurgiu, they faced FCSB at home.
At first, it looked like history was repeating itself, with the Romanians scoring first, but that wasn’t enough. The Hammers scored three goals in the second half to kick off the game with an important win.
Second-half goals from Bowen, Emerson and Antonio give West Ham the win against FCSB#UECL pic.twitter.com/U62TZYmjID
— UEFA Europa Conference League (@europacnfleague) September 8, 2022
The Battle of Cologne
There was a lot of anticipation ahead of the Nice v Koln matchup - two high quality teams, from two of the best continents on the continent, facing off on a Thursday night.
But things got a little too high-stakes in the stadium - the game was on the verge of postponement due to crowd trouble.
Forty minutes later than scheduled, the game finished in a 1-1 draw. But unfortunately, it will be remembered more for the clashes between the fans than the football.
Crazy situation in the stands between Nice (France) & FC Koln (Germany) fans that caused a Conference League match to be delayed due to flares being thrown between both fan sections.
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 8, 2022
One fan even fell from the upper deck. @StoolFootball pic.twitter.com/y7nAk2VwXu
Villarreal saved from defeat
Unai Emery is a huge fan of playing in the Europa League but, after failing to qualify this season, he made his Conference League debut with Villarreal this season.
The Spaniard was aiming for a win, but it wasn’t quite so straightforward.
Villarreal hosted a Lech Poznan side who, within two minutes, had scored. As well as opening the scoring in this game, Michal Skoras officially got the first goal of the group stage.
Villarreal took the lead back with three goals, before the Polish side drew back level with two goals. With just one minute of regular time remaining, Francis Coquelin scored for the Spaniards, rounding off a tremendous 4-3 win.
𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍 ⌚
— Villarreal CF (@VillarrealCF) September 8, 2022
⚽ @FCoquelin_off ⚽#UECL pic.twitter.com/stBXVgGHoG
A Latvian surprise
On paper, the Rigas FS vs Fiorentina clash in Italy was probably one of the most predictable games of the lot. A tournament favourite hosting a Latvian side only founded 11 years ago - piece of cake, right?
Nothing is easy in the Conference League.
RFS came to Florence and held the hosts to an amazing 1-1 draw, going behind and then levelling halfway through the second half through Andrew Ilic.
The Viola were left frustrated by goalkeeper Pavels Steinbors, who made some great saves to deny the hosts.
Just five days ago, Juventus produced the exact same scoreline in the same stadium, and now RFS can say they’ve done the same.
Andrej Ilić rescues a point for RFK after Antonín Barák had given Fiorentina the lead#UECL pic.twitter.com/MWg0oZ5qr7
— UEFA Europa Conference League (@europacnfleague) September 8, 2022
Ties for the minnows’ debuts
Three nations made their group stage debut tonight, and all ended with draws.
FC Ballkani, the first club from Kosovo, drew 1-1 with CFR Cluj, Lithuania’s Zalgiris drew 0-0 with Slovan Bratislava, and FC Vaduz, the Liechtenstein side that play in the Swiss second division, drew against Apollon 0-0.
This is the reason we love the Europa Conference League.
Edited by Alex Smith
Photo by Steve Bardens – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
😍 #FridayFeeling | #UECL pic.twitter.com/hBQOKR1iFw
— Kosovan Football 🇽🇰 (@kosovanfooty_EN) September 9, 2022
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Maccabi Tel Aviv routed ten-man Hapoel 4-1 at Bloomfield, in a fiery derby marked by red cards and pyro chaos.
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Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in the 2026 World Cup Final, ending Lionel Messi's dream World Cup with heartbreak.
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Spain were ruthless in Dallas as Oyarzabal and Dani Olmo starred, leaving France's Bastille Day to end in deep disappointment for Deschamps.
Norway outplayed England for most of a sweltering Miami classic, but two Bellingham strikes in extra time sent the Three Lions to the semis.
Egypt pushed Argentina to the limit in a 3-2 World Cup thriller, but left the pitch furious at the referee and convinced justice was denied.
Ayoub Bouaddi chose Morocco over France at 18 and lit up a quarter-final about colonial history, dual identity, and what it means to belong.
Merino's late goal gave Spain a 1-0 win over Portugal as Ronaldo left the World Cup stage in tears in what many believe was his final match.
Egypt beat Australia on penalties in Dallas to reach the last 16 for the first time, with Salah's Panenka the highlight of a historic night.
Diop headed Morocco level in the 91st minute and Saibari slotted the winner in the shootout as Morocco reached the World Cup quarter-finals.
Messi and the Jordanian Messi both scored as Argentina beat Jordan 3-1 in Arlington, with records broken and keffiyehs flying in the stands.
France beat Iraq 3-0 in Philadelphia, but the two-hour lightning delay stole the show, making it officially the longest World Cup game ever.
Saibari scored inside two minutes as Morocco beat Scotland 1-0 in Boston, leaving the Scots on the very brink of 2026 World Cup elimination.
Senegal relived their legendary 2002 magic for an hour, but Kylian Mbappe struck twice to sink them and seal France's 3-1 win in New Jersey.
Qatar stole a last-gasp draw from Switzerland and Morocco held Brazil 1-1 — two results that announced Arab football’s full arrival at 2026.
Azteca stadium hosts its third World Cup as Mexico City buzzes with pride, protest, and the deep belief that football has always lived here.
Crystal Palace beat Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig to win the Conference League in the most romantic underdog final in European football history.
Maccabi Tel Aviv edge Hapoel Be'er Sheva 2–1 in a dramatic Israeli Cup Final at Teddy Stadium, denying the champions a historic Double.
With tensions easing, Iran’s 2026 World Cup participation remains uncertain, as FIFA, politics, and regional dynamics collide.
CAF shocks African football by stripping Senegal’s title and awarding Morocco the AFCON crown after a chaotic final decision.
From silent protests to daring escapes, Iran’s women footballers turned a tournament into a global story of courage, politics, and survival.
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FIFA joins Gaza rebuilding plans, restoring stadiums, pitches, and youth programs, supporting football and hope in the Strip.
Olympiacos 'killed' Aston Villa again, advancing to their first-ever European final, where they'll meet Fiorentina—all the action from the Conference League semi-finals.