The UEFA Champions League is nearing the knockout phase, and fans are eagerly awaiting the play-off draw to discover which teams will battle for a spot in the Round of 16. With a new format in place for the 2025/26 season, the stakes are higher than ever. Here's a comprehensive guide to the upcoming draw.
The Champions League knockout phase play-off draw will take place on Friday, January 30, 2026, at 12:00 CET (11:00 GMT). The event will be held at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.
With the revamped format, only the top eight teams from the league phase directly qualify for the Round of 16. The teams finishing from ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged play-off to secure their place in the knockout stage. The sixteen teams involved will be confirmed on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, when the league phase concludes.
The draw will pair teams based on their standings in the league phase. Clubs ranked 9th to 16th will be seeded, while those in 17th to 24th will be unseeded. The seeded teams will be drawn against the unseeded teams: 9th or 10th vs. 23rd or 24th, 11th or 12th vs. 21st or 22nd, 13th or 14th vs. 19th or 20th, and 15th or 16th vs. 17th or 18th. Teams from the same national association can face each other in the play-offs, and clubs could also be drawn against opponents they already met in the league phase.
The play-off ties are scheduled to be played over two legs. The first legs will take place on February 17 and 18, 2026, and the second legs on February 24 and 25, 2026. In principle, the seeded team will play the return leg at their home stadium. UEFA will confirm the match calendar, including specific dates and kick-off times, after the draw. The eight winners will advance to the Round of 16, with the draw for that stage set for Friday, February 27, 2026.
The draw will be streamed live on UEFA.com and the official UEFA Champions League app. In the UK, TNT Sports will broadcast the draw. In the US, CBS Sports Golazo Network will provide coverage, and the draw will also be available on Paramount+.
