Live draw for the 2025/26 Champions League play-off, 6:30 PM today, January 30

The draw ceremony for the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League knockout play-off round will take place at 12:00 PM (Central European Time – CET) on Friday, January 30, 2026.

This draw applies to teams ranked from 9th to 24th after the league phase.The top 8 teams in the standings will advance directly to the round of 16.

Teams participating in the Champions League knockout play-offs

List of 16 teams confirmed after the league phase ends.

Seeded group

• Real Madrid (Spain)

• Inter Milan (Italy)

• Paris (France)

• Newcastle United (England)

• Juventus (Italy)

• Atletico Madrid (Spain)

• Atalanta (Italy)

• Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)

Unseeded group

• Borussia Dortmund (Germany)

• Olympiacos (Greece)

• Club Brugge (Belgium)

• Galatasaray (Turkey)

• Monaco (France)

• Qarabag (Azerbaijan)

• Bodø/Glimt (Norway)

• Benfica (Portugal)

Where to watch the draw?

The draw will be streamed live on UEFA.com and the official UEFA Champions League app.

Draw venue

The ceremony will take place at the House of European Football, in the city of Nyon, Switzerland.

Knockout play-off draw format

Matchups are determined by the following rules:

• Clubs are paired based on their league phase ranking, forming:

  • 4 seeded pairs: ranks 9–10, 11–12, 13–14, 15–16

  • 4 unseeded pairs: ranks 17–18, 19–20, 21–22, 23–24

• Pairing method:

  • Rank 9 or 10 faces rank 23 or 24

  • Rank 11 or 12 faces rank 21 or 22

  • Rank 13 or 14 faces rank 19 or 20

  • Rank 15 or 16 faces rank 17 or 18

Can teams from the same country meet?

Yes. Teams may compete against clubs from the same nation, and can even face opponents they met during the league phase again.

Knockout play-off match schedule

Matches will be played over two legs, with seeded teams hosting the second leg at home.

• First leg: February 17–18, 2026

• Second leg: February 24–25, 2026

Each team, as a rule, will play one match on Tuesday and one on Wednesday.

If there are stadium or city conflicts, UEFA will handle them according to the European Club Competitions Committee's regulations and announce the official schedule after the draw.

Next key dates for the 2025/26 Champions League

• Knockout play-offs: February 17/18 & 24/25, 2026

• Draw for round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals: February 27, 2026

• Round of 16: March 10/11 & 17/18, 2026

• Quarter-finals: April 7/8 & 14/15, 2026

• Semi-finals: April 28/29 & May 5/6, 2026

• Final: May 30, 2026 in Budapest