After easing to Premiership glory last season, David Healy’s men will be one of 14 seeded sides in the first round of Champions League qualification with the draw set to be held on June 17.
Victory over two legs could help set the Blues up for at least a Conference League play-off as they look to follow in Larne’s footsteps by progressing into the League Phase of a major competition, and they’ll be hoping for a favourable draw.
As we await to see the outcome in a couple of weeks, here’s the potential venues Linfield could be playing at this summer.
NOTE: All venues are subject to official UEFA confirmation. Linfield could also face Dinamo Minsk, but it’s unclear where they’d be playing home European matches at this stage – they played in multiple venues last term.
5. FC Kairat (Central Stadium)
Belfast to Almaty is just under a 10,000-mile round-trip and it would be a challenging journey to the Central Stadium, which has a capacity of over 23,000. Kairat made it to the Conference League groups in 2021 but haven't been in Europe since 2022. Photo: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
6. FC Milsami Orhei (District Sport Complex)
FC Milsami Orhei celebrated their first Moldovan title in a decade last season and Linfield could face a trip to their District Sports Complex ground this summer, which holds a capacity of 3,000. Photo: CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=166204788
7. FC Noah (Republican Stadium after Vazgen Sargsyan)
Armenian champions Noah made it all the way to the Conference League proper last season and played their matches at the Republican Stadium after Vazgen Sargsyan (pictured) but also played in qualifying at the City Stadium, so it's still to be confirmed where they'd host Linfield. Noah faced Chelsea last term, losing 8-0 at Stamford Bridge and finished 31st in the League Phase - three spots ahead of Larne. Photo: Claudio Villa/Getty Images
8. FC Differdange 03 (Stade Municipal de la Ville de Differdange)
Another stadium used for international fixtures, Stade Municipal de la Ville de Differdange - home of Luxembourg champions FC Differdange - has a capacity of 3,800. They were knocked out at this stage in 2024 by Faroe Islands outfit Klaksvíkar Ítróttarfelag. Photo: Lukas Schulze/Getty Images