Pafos FC eliminated from Europa League qualifiers after draw with Salzburg

Pafos FC saw their Europa League dreams end on August 13, 2026, following a 3-3 draw against Red Bull Salzburg at the Alphamega Stadium. Entering the match with a 1-0 deficit from the first leg in Austria, the Cypriot side produced an explosive first half with goals from Lele in the 15th minute and Biel in the 36th minute, putting them 2-0 ahead and in a position to qualify. However, a nightmare second-half spell saw Haris Tabakovic score a hat-trick between the 54th and 70th minutes to turn the game in Salzburg's favor.

Despite a late 83rd-minute equalizer from Mammadov, Pafos could not find the decisive goal needed to force extra time. Coach Ricardo Sa Pinto expressed pride in his team's performance despite the defensive lapses that cost them the qualification. With this result, Salzburg advances to the Europa League play-offs, while Pafos moves to the Conference League play-offs. They are now set to face either Auda of Latvia or Dinamo City of Albania, with the ultimate goal of reaching the league phase of the competition.