The 2025/26 UEFA Champions League has reached a decisive stage following the conclusion of the league phase, with 16 teams set to contest the knockout play-off round.
The draw to determine their matchups will take place on Friday in Nyon, Switzerland, beginning at 11:00 GMT at the House of European Football.
This stage will decide which eight additional teams progress to the round of 16, joining the eight clubs that secured automatic qualification by finishing in the top eight of the league phase.
Who Is Involved in the Draw?
Only teams that finished between 9th and 24th in the final league standings are involved.
Teams finishing 1st–8th advance directly to the round of 16, while clubs ranked 25th–36th have been eliminated from the competition.
How the Play-off Draw Works
UEFA has introduced a structured pairing system designed to reward higher league-phase finishes.
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Pairing by league position
Teams are paired based on their final standings:-
9th paired with 10th
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11th paired with 12th
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13th paired with 14th
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15th paired with 16th
Each of these pairs is linked to a corresponding unseeded pair:
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17th–18th
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19th–20th
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21st–22nd
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23rd–24th
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Seeded vs unseeded
In the draw, seeded teams will face unseeded teams from their linked pair group. -
Home advantage
The seeded teams will play the second leg at home, a significant advantage in two-legged European ties.
For Example:
Newcastle United, having finished 12th, are paired with 11th-placed Paris Saint-Germain.
As a seeded pair, Newcastle are guaranteed to face either Monaco (21st) or Qarabağ (22nd) in the play-offs.
Key Dates for the Play-offs
The winners of these ties will advance to the round of 16.
What Happens After the Play-offs?
Once the eight play-off winners are confirmed, they will be added to the last-16 draw, which takes place on 27 February.
That draw will also set the bracket for the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.
From the champions league round of 16 onward, the competition follows a traditional knockout format, with all ties played over two legs except the final.
Seeding Advantages Explained
UEFA’s new format places increased importance on league-phase finishing positions:
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Round of 16:
The top eight league-phase finishers are seeded and play the second leg at home. -
Quarter-finals:
Teams that finished 1st–4th in the league phase are seeded and retain second-leg home advantage. -
Semi-finals:
The teams that finished 1st and 2nd overall are seeded, again earning second-leg home advantage.
If a seeded team is eliminated, the team that knocks them out inherits their seeding status for the next round.
Country Protection? None
There are no country protection rules at this stage:
Why League Position Still Matters
The league-phase ranking can significantly influence a team’s path. Last season illustrated this clearly:
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Manchester City finished 22nd, entered the play-offs unseeded, and were drawn against Real Madrid; eventually losing.
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PSG, despite finishing outside the top eight, navigated the extra round and went on to win the competition.
This season, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and PSG are again outside the automatic qualification spots, reinforcing how costly a low finish can be.
Remaining Champions League Dates
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Knockout play-offs: 17–18 & 24–25 February
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Last 16 / Quarter-finals / Semi-finals draw: 27 February
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Round of 16: 10–11 & 17–18 March
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Quarter-finals: 7–8 & 14–15 April
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Semi-finals: 28–29 April & 5–6 May
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Final: 30 May (Budapest)
