2025-26 Play-off Draw UEFA Champions League
The draw for the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League Knockout round play-off occurred on Friday, January 30, 2026, in Nyon, Switzerland. This marks the 71st season of Europe’s premier club tournament and the 34th since it was rebranded as the UEFA Champions League. The competition began on July 8, 2025, and will continue until the final match in Budapest, Hungary, on Saturday, May 30, 2026.
👉 🇮🇹 The three Serie A clubs taking part are Inter, Juventus, and Atalanta.
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✅ When are the Champions League knockout phase matches?
- Knockout phase play-offs: 17/18 & 24/25 February 2026.
- Round of 16: 10/11 & 17/18 March 2026.
- Quarter-finals: 7/8 & 14/15 April 2026.
- Semi-finals: 28/29 April & 5/6 May 2026.
- Final: 30 May 2026 (Budapest).
✅ The fixtures for the knockout phase play-offs were determined by means of a draw conducted in accordance with the following principles:
a. The clubs were paired based on their positions at the end of the league phase to form four seeded pairs (clubs in positions 9 and 10, 11 and 12, 13 and 14, and 15 and 16) and four unseeded pairs (positions 17 and 18, 19 and 20, 21 and 22, and 23 and 24).
b. The clubs in each seeded pair were drawn into the knockout phase bracket, against the clubs in each unseeded pair: clubs 9 or 10 against clubs 23 or 24, clubs 11 or 12 against clubs 21 or 22, clubs 13 or 14 against clubs 19 or 20, and clubs 15 or 16 against clubs 17 or 18.
✅ 2025-26 UEFA Champions League Play-off First legs.
17/02: Galatasaray vs Juventus (18:45 CET).
17/02: Monaco vs Paris.
. 17/02: Borussia Dortmund vs Atalanta.
17:02: Benfica vs Real Madrid.
18/02: Qarabağ vs Newcastle (18:45 CET).
. 18/02: Club Brugge vs Atlético de Madrid.
18/02: Bodø/Glimt vs Inter.
18/02: Olympiacos vs Leverkusen.
✅ 2025-26 UEFA Champions League Play-off Second legs
24/02: Atlético de Madrid vs Club Brugge (18:45 CET).
24/02: Leverkusen vs Olympiacos.
24/02: Newcastle vs Qarabağ.
. 25/02: Atalanta vs Borussia Dortmund (18:45 CET).
25/02: Juventus vs Galatasaray.
25/02: Paris vs Monaco.
25/02: Real Madrid vs Benfica.
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Source: x.com/championsleague
Understanding the UEFA Champions League Structure
According to UEFA.com, starting this season, the rankings from the league phase will also play a crucial role in determining the seeding for the quarter-finals and semi-finals, in addition to the existing seeding for the knockout phase play-offs and the round of 16, as was the case last season.
In this context, the teams that are seeded for the quarter-finals (i.e., those that finish in the top four at the conclusion of the league phase) will benefit from playing the second leg of their quarter-final match at home, provided they advance that far.
Moreover, the teams seeded for the semi-finals (i.e., those that finish first and second at the end of the league phase) will also have the advantage of hosting the second leg of their semi-final match at home if they reach that level. However, if a seeded team is defeated in any round, the team that eliminates them will inherit their seeding position.
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