UEFA Champions League Knockout Play-off Draw: Date, Time, Teams and Rules

The UEFA Champions League transition into the business end of the season begins at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland. The knockout phase play-off draw is scheduled for 12:00 CET on Friday 30 January 2026. Fans can follow the proceedings via live stream on the official UEFA website and mobile application.

Qualified Teams and Seeding Structure

This draw features 16 clubs that finished between 9th and 24th place in the league phase. The top eight performers secured automatic entry into the Round of 16, leaving the following sides to compete for the remaining spots:

Seeded Teams:

• Real Madrid (ESP)
• Inter (ITA)
• Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
• Newcastle United (ENG)
• Juventus (ITA)
• Atlético de Madrid (ESP)
• Atalanta (ITA)
• Bayer Leverkusen (GER)

Unseeded Teams:

• Borussia Dortmund (GER)
• Olympiacos (GRE)
• Club Brugge (BEL)
• Galatasaray (TUR)
• Monaco (FRA)
• Qarabağ (AZE)
• Bodø/Glimt (NOR)
• Benfica (POR)

Also read: Europa League Play-Off Draw: Matchups and Schedule Confirmed

Draw Mechanics and Procedural Rules

The pairing system is rigid, dictated by final league positions. Clubs ranked 9th or 10th will be drawn against those in 23rd or 24th. Positions 11th and 12th face 21st or 22nd, while 13th and 14th meet 19th or 20th. The final pairings match 15th and 16th against 17th or 18th. Unlike previous iterations of the competition, teams from the same national association can be drawn against each other at this stage. UEFA also permits matchups between clubs that already played during the league phase.

Fixtures take place over two legs. The seeded team will, in principle, play the return leg at home. Each club will, in principle, play once on a Tuesday and once on a Wednesday.

2026 Knockout Calendar

The eight survivors from these ties will join the top eight seeds in the Round of 16. Follow TipsGG for real-time updates and tactical breakdowns as the road to Budapest intensifies.