QualifiersĦamrun Spartans have been drawn against Lincoln Red Imps FC, the champions of Gibraltar, in the first qualifying round of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League. The two-legged tie is scheduled to take place on July 9/10 and July 16/17. Given their recent performances, Lincoln Red Imps FC might pose a significant challenge for Ħamrun Spartans. In their previous encounter during the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League qualifiers, Lincoln Red Imps lost to Ħamrun Spartans with a score of 1-0 in the away leg, but they managed to win the home leg 1-0, leading to a penalty shootout that Lincoln Red Imps won 5-4.
The upcoming matches will be crucial for Ħamrun Spartans, as winning this tie would propel them to the second qualifying round, where they would face tougher opponents. According to the UEFA Champions League qualifying phase format, the winners of the first qualifying round would proceed to the second qualifying round, and the winners of that round would move on to the third qualifying round. Teams eliminated in each round would either enter the Europa League or the Conference League, depending on the round they were eliminated in.The draw for the first qualifying round took place on June 17, 2025, and Ħamrun Spartans will need to prepare well to take on Lincoln Red Imps FC. With both teams having a relatively low UEFA club coefficient, the tie is expected to be closely contested. Ħamrun Spartans have a coefficient of 6.000, while Lincoln Red Imps have a coefficient of 10.000.
