The exit of Kyiv's Dynamo from the 2025/26 Champions League qualification rounds signifies the end of a long-standing presence of Ukrainian clubs in this prestigious tournament.

On August 12, the team led by Oleksandr Shovkovskyi suffered a second defeat against Paphos (0:2), leading to their elimination from the Champions League.

As the only representative of Ukraine in the Champions League, this outcome breaks a 20-year tradition of Ukrainian clubs participating in European competitions.

For the first time since the 2005/06 season, there will be no Ukrainian team in the group stage of the top European cup. Back then, Dynamo and Shakhtar also failed to advance past their opponents in the qualifying rounds.

However, Dynamo's European journey is not over yet. The team will continue in the Europa League, where they will face the winner of the pairing Hamrun Spartans (Malta) – Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel) in the playoff round.

At this stage, Shakhtar may join Dynamo. Arda Turan's team will play against Turkish Samsunspor if they can get past Greek Panathinaikos in the third qualifying round. The first match ended in a goalless draw, with the return leg scheduled for August 14 at 21:00 Kyiv time.