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sport · Friday 10 July 2026 · Various 
Derry City FC - UEFA Europa League Qualifying 2026
At Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium · Lone Moor Road, Derry BT48 9JF
At Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium · Lone Moor Road, Derry BT48 9JF
Derry City FC return to European competition in July 2026, taking on Bulgarian giants CSKA Sofia in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League. The Candystripes qualified through their League of Ireland Premier Division campaign, and the draw has handed them a fixture with genuine history - the two clubs met in this same competition back in 2009, when Derry held Sofia to a 1-1 draw at the Brandywell before going out narrowly on aggregate. Seventeen years on, fans who remember that night will know exactly what a home European tie at the Brandywell means to this city. For anyone who has never been to a Derry City European night, this is a good reason to start.
The first leg takes place in Sofia on 9 July, with the return at Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium scheduled for 16 July. CSKA Sofia are one of Bulgaria’s most decorated clubs, which makes the Brandywell home leg a proper continental occasion rather than a routine warm-up tie. The stadium holds around 8,200 for domestic football, but UEFA capacity rules bring that down to approximately 2,900 for European fixtures - which means tickets are limited and the atmosphere inside is correspondingly intense. The stands sit tight to the pitch, creating a closeness you simply do not get in larger arenas. Expect flags, noise, and a crowd that genuinely knows its football. The Candystripes supporters have a long tradition of backing their team loudly on European nights, and the Brandywell has rung out for some memorable continental occasions over the decades.
Derry city centre sits roughly 1.5 hours by road from Belfast and around 3 hours from Dublin via the M1 and A5. The Brandywell is on Lone Moor Road, about a 15-minute walk southwest from the city centre - it is a straightforward walk from the Guildhall area along Foyle Street and up into the Bogside. Bus Eireann and Goldline services run between Dublin and Derry, with Translink covering Belfast. Derry does not have a train station on the southern rail network, but the city is well served by cross-border coaches. Street parking is available in the surrounding residential streets, though match days fill up quickly - arriving on foot from the centre is generally the easier option.
A European match night gives you good reason to spend time in a city that rewards it. The walled city, the Bogside murals, and the Peace Bridge are all within walking distance of the Brandywell, and the Foyle waterfront makes for a fine pre-match hour. There is more to see in Derry and across Co. Derry.
Heading to Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium in Derry? Derry has plenty more to see. Read the Derry area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.