The Champions League knockout stages are fast approaching with teams trying to secure their place within the draw following the ultimate round of league-phase fixtures.
Arsenal and Bayern Munich currently look set to complete in the highest two of the table, ensuring they go straight into the round of 16 and have home second leg for every of their knockout ties.
But a bunched remainder of the table implies that there continues to be plenty to play for on the subject of the highest eight, and sneaking into the highest 24.
All six Premier League clubs could feasibly secure spots in the highest eight and qualify straight for the last-16, but they’ll need results to go their way on Wednesday evening.
And while the additional playoff fixture shouldn’t be ideal, Paris Saint-Germain proved it may be the muse to a historic run to the ultimate, as they did last 12 months before toppling Inter in convincing fashion to win the tournament.
Here’s every little thing we all know concerning the Champions League knockout phase play-off draw, including when it takes place and watch on TV.
When is the Champions League play-off draw?
Get your football fix
Don’t desire to miss the week’s biggest football stories? Metro’s exclusive football newsletter, In The Mixer, is your essential guide.
From the most recent transfer rumours and managerial moves to evaluation of the largest games and so much more, our experts have you ever covered.
Join here, it’s an open goal.
The 2025/26 UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off draw takes place on Friday, 30 January 2026, in Nyon, Switzerland.
The draw will begin at 11am GMT, and features teams that finished ninth to twenty fourth place within the league phase.
watch on TV channel and live stream
The draw shall be streamed live to tell the tale Uefa’s website and the Champions League app.
How does the draw work?
The clubs are paired based on their positions at the top of the league phase and form 4 seeded pairs. Those are clubs in positions nine and 10, 11 and 12, 13 and 14, and 15 and 16.
There will even 4 unseeded pairs from the league phase standings: positions 17 and 18, 19 and 20, 21 and 22, and 23 and 24.
Clubs in each seeded pair are drawn against two 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.
Teams from the identical national association will be drawn against one another within the knockout phase play-offs.
When will the play-off games be played?
Champions League knockout phase
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
When is the Round of 16 draw?
The round of 16 draw will occur on Friday, 27 February, with the eight teams that advance from the knockout phase play-offs joining the eight teams that qualified routinely from the league phase.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the most recent news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
MORE: Champions League permutations: What Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City and others must qualify for last 16
MORE: Raheem Sterling breaks silence as Chelsea contract terminated before January transfer deadline
MORE: Jamie Carragher bemoans Arsenal beating Liverpool to sign underrated star