FC Thun will face Iceland’s Vikingur Reykjavik in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League, starting with a home match on August 6, 2026. The Swiss champions enter the competition after a narrow defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League qualifiers.
The path for the reigning Swiss champions has shifted from the Champions League to the Europa League following a dramatic exit in the second qualifying round. According to Tagesanzeiger, the Berner Oberländer now know their next hurdle on the international stage: the eight-time Icelandic champions, Vikingur Reykjavik.
The Collapse Against Dinamo Zagreb
Thun’s departure from the Champions League was marked by a sudden reversal of fortune. In the return leg against Dinamo Zagreb, Thun held a 2-0 lead before conceding three goals, as reported by Plattformj. Brighton Labeau opened the scoring in the 4th minute, and captain Marco Bürki doubled the lead in the 22nd.
The momentum shifted in the 67th minute when Bürki received a red card for a foul that prevented a clear scoring opportunity. This occurred after the Croatian side played the ball into touch (seitenaus) because a Thuner was rolling on the ground, but then immediately attacked the ball-carrying Bürki, which was described as not conforming to the customs of fair football play. Following the dismissal, Dion Beljo and Lukas Kacavenda scored for the Croatian side to force extra time. The match ended in a defeat for Thun after Moris Valincic, who was not hindered during a run across the field, scored the decisive goal from a distance in the 112th minute.
Vikingur Reykjavik and the Gylfi Sigurdsson Factor
Vikingur Reykjavik arrives in this round after their own Champions League ambitions ended against Israel’s Hapoel Be’er Scheva. While the Icelanders won the first leg 2-1 in Reykjavik, SRF reports they lost the second leg 0-2 in Hungary, conceding goals in the 65th and 80th minutes.
Thun will face a squad featuring high-profile experience in the form of 36-year-old Gylfi Sigurdsson. The former Tottenham and Everton player—who spent five years at Everton and also played for Hoffenheim—has been a ten-time Icelandic Footballer of the Year and a national team top scorer with 28 goals. Sigurdsson has played for Vikingur since 2025. Tagesanzeiger notes that the Icelandic side has established itself as a zäher Widersacher
(tough opponent) in European competitions in recent years.
Match Schedule and Logistics
The tie will be contested over two legs in August. The first encounter is scheduled for Thursday, August 6, and will be hosted by FC Thun. The decisive second leg will take place one week later in the Icelandic capital, Reykjavik.
| Match | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| First Leg | August 6, 2026 | Thun, Switzerland |
| Second Leg | August 13, 2026 | Reykjavik, Iceland |
This transition to the Europa League comes as a necessary reset for the Swiss side. As Fussballdaten observed, the defeat to Zagreb serves as a signal that the current season will be challenging, even for the reigning domestic champions, who had previously celebrated a sensational championship title in the past season.
Other results in the UEFA Champions League qualification included Sturm Graz advancing against Heart of Midlothian with a 2-0 win in the second leg and a 4-0 win in the first leg. Additional results included Lincoln Red Imps 0:0 Mjällby AIF (0:3), Kuopion PS 0:2 FK Sabah (0:5), Sharock Rovers 2:1 Ararat-Armenia (2:3), and NK Celje 2:2 (4:1 n. E.) KS Egnatia (5:5).
Related reading