Marsaxlokk were drawn with FC Pyunik of Armenia while Hamrun Spartans were paired with NSI Runavik of the Faroe Islands in the UEFA Conference League first qualifying round as the draw was held at the House of Football in Nyon on Tuesday.
The Southseasiders will play the first leg at home while the Spartans are due to play their first leg in the Faroe Islands. Matches are due to be played on July 9 and 17.
Football Club Pyunik, who are based in the Armenian capital of Yerevan, were founded in 1992. They are the most successful team of Armenia, having won 34 league titles. They also won the Armenian Cup a record eight times and the Armenian Super Cup a record ten times.
Last season, Pyunik finished third in the Armenian Premier League, five points behind champions Ararat and one behind runners-up FC Noah.
Their best achievement in European football was in 2022/23 when they reached the group stage of the UEFA Europa Conference League after entering the UEFA Champions League and losing the UEFA Europa League play-off to Sheriff Tiraspol on penalties.
NSΓ RunavΓk, on the other hand, are based in RunavΓk on the island of Eysturoy. Founded in 1957, they managed to win their first championship in 2007. They also the Faroe Islands Cup in 1986, 2002 and 2017 and the Super Cup in 2008.
NSI Runavik are currently joint-leaders in the Faroese Premier Division with 29 points from 13 matches. Last year, they placed third on 60 points, thirteen behind champions Klaksvik and four behind runners-up HB Torshavn.
Since taking part in UEFA club competitions for the first time in 2003, their best performance was eliminating Barry Town from the UEFA Europa League preliminary round to reach the first round proper. Last season, they defeated HJK Helsinki 4-0 in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League first qualifying round but were eliminated after losing 0-5 after extra-time in the second leg.
2026/27 UEFA Conference League first qualifying round draw
FK VeleΕΎ Mostar (BIH) vs FC Milsami Orhei (MDA)
Bohemian FC (IRL) vs St Joseph’s FC (GIB)
FC Dinamo City (ALB) vs FC Astana (KAZ)
Connah’s Quay Nomads FC (WAL) vs FC Ballkani (KOS)
PFC Zire (AZE) vs FC Torpedo Kutaisi (GEO)
FC Differdange 03 (LUX) vs Ilves Tampere (FIN)
FC Dinamo-Minsk (BLR) vs FC Sileks (MKD)
FK DeΔiΔ (MNE) vs FK LiepΔja (LVA)
AF Elbasani (ALB) vs FC BATE Borisov (BLR)
Glentoran FC (NIR) vs FC RFS (LVA)
FK Mornar (MNE) vs AtlΓ¨tic Club d’Escaldes (AND)
US Mondorf-les-Bains (LUX) vs FC Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO)
OFK Petrovac (MNE) vs FK Ε½algiris (LTU)
Caernarfon Town FC (WAL) vs FCI Levadia Tallinn (EST)
Marsaxlokk FC (MLT) vs FC Pyunik (ARM)
FC Hegelmann (LTU) vs Paide Linnameeskond (EST)
FC Alashkert (ARM) vs FC Elimai Semei (KAZ)
VΓkingur (FRO) vs Stjarnan (ISL)
FC Dila Gori (GEO) vs Virtus A.C. 1964 (SMR)
FK Sarajevo (BIH) vs FC Inter Turku (FIN)
Europa FC (GIB) vs KF ShkΓ«ndija (MKD)
NΓ΅mme Kalju FC (EST) vs Linfield FC (NIR)
Penybont FC (WAL) vs FC Santa Coloma (AND)
NSΓ RunavΓk (FRO) vs Hamrun Spartans F.C. (MLT)
FC UNA Strassen (LUX) vs La Fiorita 1967 (SMR)
KF Vllaznia (ALB) vs FC Malisheva (KOS)