The 2025–26 Champions League knockout phase will soon commence and that’s when the fun of Europe’s premier competition truly begins.
The league phase has produced its fair share of drama and excitement but it pales in comparison to what’s to come in the knockout stage—all the way from the playoff round to May’s showpiece event in Budapest.
The recent switch to the Swiss model has created the Champions League’s playoff round, pitting teams from across the continent against one another across two legs as they duke it out for their place in the last 16.
Here’s everything you need to know about the knockout playoff draw.
When Is the Champions League Knockout Playoff Draw?
The draw for the Champions League knockout will take place two days after the final round of league phase fixtures, kicking off at 11 a.m. GMT (6 a.m. ET, 3 a.m. PT) on Friday, Jan. 30.
As usual, the draw will be staged at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.
How to Watch the Champions League Knockout Playoff Draw
The Champions League knockout playoff draw will be broadcast live by UEFA on their website and viewers in the United Kingdom can also access the coverage via the Champions League app.
How Does the Champions League Knockout Playoff Draw Work?
The playoff involves the 16 Champions League clubs who finished from ninth to 24th in the league phase standings.
The qualified teams will be separated into pairings based on their final position, with the eight clubs who finished from ninth to 16th being seeded and the remaining sides unseeded. Seeded teams are guaranteed to play the second leg of their playoff at home.
Pairings are grouped together as potential opponents. For example, the teams that come ninth and 10th will each face one of the teams that finish 23rd or 24th. The draw will then decide which opponent each club within the pairing faces.
Clubs can be drawn against those they have played in the league phase, as well as any team from their own national confederation. The winner will be decided across two legs and progress to the last 16, where they will face one of the eight teams who automatically reached the stage by finishing at the top of the league phase table.
Knockout Playoff Matchups
- 9th or 10th vs. 23rd or 24th
- 11th or 12th vs. 21st or 22nd
- 13th or 14th vs. 19th or 20th
- 15th or 16th vs. 17th or 18th
Champions League League Phase Table Before Matchday 8
| Position | Club | Points | Goal Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Arsenal | 21 | +18 |
| 2. | Bayern Munich | 18 | +13 |
| 3. | Real Madrid | 15 | +11 |
| 4. | Liverpool | 15 | +6 |
| 5. | Tottenham Hotspur | 14 | +8 |
| 6. | Paris Saint-Germain | 13 | +10 |
| 7. | Newcastle United | 13 | +10 |
| 8. | Chelsea | 13 | +6 |
| 9. | Barcelona | 13 | +5 |
| 10. | Sporting CP | 13 | +5 |
| 11. | Manchester City | 13 | +4 |
| 12. | Atlético Madrid | 13 | +3 |
| 13. | Atalanta | 13 | +1 |
| 14. | Inter Milan | 12 | +6 |
| 15. | Juventus | 12 | +4 |
| 16. | Borussia Dortmund | 11 | +4 |
| 17. | Galatasaray | 10 | 0 |
| 18. | Qarabağ | 10 | -2 |
| 19. | Marseille | 9 | 0 |
| 20. | Bayer Leverkusen | 9 | -4 |
| 21. | Monaco | 9 | -6 |
| 22. | PSV Eindhoven | 8 | +1 |
| 23. | Athletic Club | 8 | -4 |
| 24. | Olympiacos | 8 | -5 |
| 25. | Napoli | 8 | -5 |
| 26. | Copenhagen | 8 | -6 |
| 27. | Club Brugge | 7 | -5 |
| 28. | Bodø/Glimt | 6 | -2 |
| 29. | Benfica | 6 | -4 |
| 30. | Pafos | 6 | -6 |
| 31. | Union Saint-Gilloise | 6 | -10 |
| 32. | Ajax | 6 | -12 |
| 33. | Eintracht Frankfurt | 4 | -9 |
| 34. | Slavia Prague | 3 | -11 |
| 35. | Villarreal | 1 | -10 |
| 36. | Kairat Almaty | 1 | -14 |
Full Champions League Knockout Schedule
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Knockout playoffs | February 17/18 & 24/25 |
| Last 16 | March 10/11 & 17/18 |
| Quarterfinals | April 7/8 & 14/15 |
| Semifinals | April 28/29 & May 5/6 |
| Final | May 30 |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as When Is the Champions League Knockout Round Playoff Draw?.
