UEFA Champions League 2025-26 enters the knockout phase with the draw set to decide the match-ups for the play-offs whose result will further decide the Round of 16 ties. Check out key details regarding the draw below.
The UEFA Champions League’s first round is done and we are now headed towards the knockouts. The UCL last-16 playoffs start on 17 February, from where we will get our Round of 16 line-up.
On Wednesday, the final matchday of the league phase threw up interesting results and we got our eight direct qualifiers for the Round of 16. Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, FC Barcelona, Chelsea FC, Sporting CP and Manchester City have secured their place in the Round of 16.
The next 16 teams will now go up against each other in two-legged knockout games to decide the opponents of the top eight sides in the pre-quarterfinals.
Here we take a look at the important details ahead of the draw for the UEFA Champions League knockouts.
When and where is the UEFA Champions League knockout draw?
The draw for the knockout playoffs in the UEFA Champions League takes place on Friday, 30 January. The event will take place at the UEFA headquarters in Switzerland, starting from 11 am GMT(4:30 pm IST).
How does UCL knockout draw work?
Teams are grouped into four seeded pairs and four unseeded pairs based on their final league phase positions. The draw assigns fixtures based on a pre-determined bracket where each seeded pair will draw a tie against an unseeded pair in this manner: clubs 9/10 against clubs 23/24, clubs 11/12 against clubs 21/22, clubs 13/14 against clubs 19/20, and clubs 15/16 against clubs 17/18.
The eight higher-ranked teams get the advantage of seedings and play the second leg at home.
Which teams will know their match-ups through draw
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Real Madrid (Spain)
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Inter Milan (Italy)
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Paris St. Germain (France)
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Newcastle United (England)
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Juventus (Italy)
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Atletico Madrid (Spain)
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Atalanta (Italy)
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Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)
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Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
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Olympiacos (Greece)
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Club Brugge (Belgium)
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Galatasaray (Turkey)
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AS Monaco (France)
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Qarabag (Azerbaijan)
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Bodo/Glimt (Norway)
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Benfica (Portugal)
The first eight teams are seeded and will play the second leg at home.
Champions League potential opponents
| UCL league phase position | Possible opponents |
|---|---|
| 9th (Real Madrid) | 23rd (Bodo/Glimt) or 24th (Benfica) |
| 10th (Inter Milan) | 23rd (Bodo/Glimt) or 24th (Benfica) |
| 11th (PSG) | 21st (Monaco) or 22nd (Qarabag) |
| 12th (Newcastle United) | 21st (Monaco) or 22nd (Qarabag) |
| 13th (Juventus) | 19th (Club Brugge) or 20th (Galatasaray) |
| 14th (Atletico Madrid) | 19th (Club Brugge) or 20th (Galatasaray) |
| 15th (Atalanta) | 17th (Borussia Dortmund) or 18th (Olympiacos) |
| 16th (Bayer Leverkusen) | 17th (Borussia Dortmund) or 18th (Olympiacos) |
| 17th (Borussia Dortmund) | 15th (Atalanta) or 16th (Bayer Leverkusen) |
| 18th (Olympiacos) | 15th (Atalanta) or 16th (Bayer Leverkusen) |
| 19th (Club Brugge) | 13th (Juventus) or 14th (Atletico Madrid) |
| 20th (Galatasaray) | 13th (Juventus) or 14th (Atletico Madrid) |
| 21st (AS Monaco) | 11th (PSG) or 12th (Newcastle) |
| 22nd (Qarabag) | 11th (PSG) or 12th (Newcastle) |
| 23rd (Bodo/Glimt) | 9th (Real Madrid) or 10th (Inter Milan) |
| 24th (Benfica) | 9th (Real Madrid) or 10th (Inter Milan) |
Where to watch UEFA Champions League knockout draw?
The UEFA Champions League knockout draw will be streamed live on UEFA.com and the official UEFA Champions League application. In India, it will also b shown on the SonyLIV app and website.
When are the Champions League knockout phase play-off games?
First legs: 17-18 February 2026
Second legs: 24-25 February 2026
The draw for the Round of 16 will take place on 27 February.
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