Alex MacQuoid
The UEFA Europa League knockout phase play-off draw is scheduled for 13:00 CET on Friday 30 January 2026. Hosted at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland, the event will be broadcast live via official UEFA digital platforms and the tournament app.
Qualified Teams and Seeding Structure
The field consists of 16 clubs that finished between ninth and 24th place in the league phase. The top eight teams from the league standings bypassed this round to secure direct entry into the round of 16.
| Seeded Teams (Ranked 9-16) | Unseeded Teams (Ranked 17-24) |
|---|---|
| Genk (BEL) | PAOK (GRE) |
| Bologna (ITA) | Lille (FRA) |
| Stuttgart (GER) | Fenerbahçe (TUR) |
| Ferencváros (HUN) | Panathinaikos (GRE) |
| Nottingham Forest (ENG) | Celtic (SCO) |
| Viktoria Plzeň (CZE) | Ludogorets (BUL) |
| Crvena Zvezda (SRB) | GNK Dinamo (CRO) |
| Celta Vigo (ESP) | Brann (NOR) |
The Draw Mechanism
Pairing follows a strict bracket system based on final league positions. Clubs ranked 9 or 10 are drawn against those in spots 23 or 24. Teams in 11 or 12 face the 21 or 22 finishers. Positions 13 or 14 meet 19 or 20, while the 15 or 16 seeds play against 17 or 18. Under the current format, clubs from the same national association can be drawn against each other, and teams may face opponents they previously met during the league phase.
Europa League 2026 Knockout Schedule
The play-offs are conducted over two legs. Seeded teams carry the advantage of hosting the second leg at their home stadium. The winners of these eight ties will advance to join the league phase leaders in the round of 16.
- Knockout Play-off First Legs: 19 February 2026
- Knockout Play-off Second Legs: 26 February 2026
- Round of 16 Draw: 27 February 2026
- Round of 16 Matches: 12 & 19 March 2026
- Quarter-finals: 9 & 16 April 2026
- Semi-finals: 30 April & 7 May 2026
- Europa League Final: 20 May 2026 (Istanbul)
Follow TipsGG for real-time updates and expert analysis as the road to Istanbul continues.