Emily KeoghAug 11, 2026, 06:23 AM ETCloseBased in London, Emily Keogh is ESPN's women's soccer correspondent, specializing in the WSL and UWCL
Chelsea will play Real Sociedad in the third round qualifying for the Women's Champions League.
It is the first time in six years that the Blues have had to enter a qualifying round for the competition, normally earning an automatic entry to the competition through winning six consecutive Women's Super League (WSL) titles.
Manchester City dethroned Chelsea last season, with the latter finishing the domestic competition in third needing to win a two-legged tie to reach the competition.
Real Sociedad finished third in Liga F last season, earning a qualification spot, only their second in recent history. They reached qualifiers in 2022-23 but were unable to make it out of the second round losing both games.
The two-legged qualifiers will be played on Aug. 26 and Sept. 2 with the winners earning a place in the competition proper.
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Chelsea avoided having to face former champions Wolfsburg who drew Inter Milan and Real Madrid who will face Ajax.
Paris Saint-Germain will face Eintracht Frankfurt with Juventus drawn against St. Polten.
Alongside WSL winners Man City and second place Arsenal, holders Barcelona have already qualified. They beat OL Lyonnes 4-0 in the final in Oslo in May. Both Lyonnes and D1 Arkema runners up Paris FC qualified automatically.
Bayern Munich, Roma, Benfica and BK Hacken have also already qualified for the competition as winners of their respective leagues.
Source: https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49580958/women-champions-league-draw-chelsea-face-real-sociedad-third-qualifying-round