Portuguese Cup winners Torreense will become one of Europe’s rare second-tier clubs to compete on the continental stage after falling short in their bid for promotion to the top flight.
The club from Torres Vedras secured a historic place in the league phase of the 2026-27 UEFA Europa League after stunning Sporting CP 2-1 in the Portuguese Cup final on Sunday. It marked the first major trophy in Torreense’s 109-year history and guaranteed European football for next season.
Torreense also had the opportunity to complete a remarkable campaign by earning promotion from Portugal’s second division through the play-offs. After a goalless first leg against Casa Pia, however, they suffered a 2-0 defeat away from home on Thursday, ending their hopes of reaching the Primeira Liga.
As a result, Torreense will head into Europe while still playing second division football. Their modest home ground, which holds around 2,500 spectators, does not meet UEFA regulations, meaning their Europa League fixtures will be staged nearly 200 miles away at the Estadio Algarve in Faro.
The Portuguese side will join an unusual list of lower-league clubs that have featured in European competitions over the years.
Icelandic Cup winners Vestri, based in a village with fewer than 3,000 residents, are also preparing for Europa League football next season after defeating Valur in the 2025 cup final.
Liechtenstein’s FC Vaduz have become regulars in European qualifying rounds despite spending much of the past two decades in Switzerland’s second division. Their dominance in the Liechtenstein Cup repeatedly earned them places in UEFA competitions before they eventually secured promotion to the Swiss top flight this year.
English football has also produced notable examples. Millwall reached the 2004 UEFA Cup after losing the FA Cup final to Manchester United, while Birmingham City qualified for the Europa League in 2011 through their League Cup triumph over Arsenal before being relegated from the Premier League later that same season.
Wigan Athletic experienced a similar fate in 2013. Days after lifting the FA Cup against Manchester City and securing European qualification for the first time, the club was relegated from the Premier League.
Swiss side FC Zurich also competed in the Europa League group stage after winning the Swiss Cup despite finishing bottom of the domestic top division in 2015-16.
German club Alemannia Aachen, French side FC Gueugnon, Poland’s Wisla Krakow and Romanian outfit Corvinu Hunedoara have all enjoyed European campaigns while operating outside their countries’ top tiers.
Now Torreense will add their own chapter to that list as they prepare for an unlikely Europa League journey next season alongside clubs such as Bournemouth, Sunderland, Juventus, AC Milan and Bayer Leverkusen.