Championship stadium will host Conference League games in 2026/27 campaign

Welsh Premier League side Penybont will play next season’s UEFA Conference League matches at the Cardiff City Stadium.

The Bridgend-based club secured European qualification after a 2-0 win over Haverfordwest County in the Cymru Premier Play-off final last week.

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Chris Venables and Mael Davies scored the goals at the club’s DragonBet Stadium to secure passage to the Conference League qualification round for the third time in four seasons.

The win was Penybont’s first ever play-off final success having lost at the same stage in 2024.

And their reward will see them play European matches 23 miles from their spiritual home at Cardiff’s plush 33,000-seater stadium.

They will compete in the first-qualifying round alongside fellow Welsh club’s Connah’s Quay Nomads and Caernarfon Town.

Meanwhile The New Saints will be the league’s representatives in next season’s UEFA Champions League.

A venue for the big occasions

The Cardiff City Stadium has regularly hosted matches not involving the newly-promoted Championship club.

In March, Wales played their World Cup play-off semi-final against Bosnia and Herzegovina at the stadium.

And Wales’ rugby union side will face off against Fiji at the Cardiff City Stadium in July.

A post on the club’s X account on Friday read: “Destination Cardiff City Stadium

“We’re delighted to announce that the home ties of our upcoming UEFA Conference League campaign will take place at the Cardiff City Stadium.

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“More info following the draw on June 16th.”

The Welsh club are yet to reach the group stages of the competition despite their best efforts in doing so.

On their two previous ventures into Europe they were thwarted at the first time of asking.

Penybont were sent packing in the first qualifying round against Andorra’s FC Santa Coloma, losing 3-1 on aggregate in the 2023/24 season.

Two years later they slipped to a 4-1 aggregate defeat to Lithuanian outfit Kauno Zalgiris in the same stage of the competition.

The next step for the club is to win their first ever match in European competition this summer.