The Champions League knockout play-off draw takes place on Friday at 11:00 GMT (12:00 CET) in Nyon, Switzerland, at UEFA’s House of European Football. The broadcast starts just before the draw, and the ties will be announced quickly.
This draw determines the eight two-leg knockout-phase matches and places each club in a silver or blue bracket, which shapes the route to the later rounds.
Quick snapshot: draw time, who is involved, and the first key dates
- Draw time: 11:00 GMT, 12:00 CET, 6:00 ET
- Location: House of European Football, Nyon, Switzerland
- Teams involved: clubs finishing 9th to 24th in the league phase, 16 teams total
- What the top eight get: straight to the round of 16
- What the draw sets are: the eight two-leg ties, plus each club’s silver or blue pathway
- Two-leg dates (2026): first legs Feb 17 or 18, second legs Feb 24 or 25
For viewers who want the official broadcast listing, the BBC has a schedule page for the program, including release details and TV placement: BBC draws broadcast listing.
How Does the Champions League Knockout Play-Off Draw Work?
UEFA’s new Champions League format can feel like a maze. The playoff draw keeps it simple once the basics are clear.
First, only teams ranked 9th to 24th in the league phase qualify for the knockout phase playoffs. That gives UEFA 16 teams to place into eight ties.
Second, the draw splits those 16 teams into two groups based on where they finished:
- Seeded teams come from 9th to 16th.
- Unseeded teams come from 17th to 24th.
Third, the draw pairs seeded clubs with unseeded clubs inside set “bands” tied to final positions. UEFA will confirm the exact ties once the balls come out.
If a detail sounds like a fine-print rule (same-country matchups, rematches, how bracket halves lock in), UEFA publishes the final wording for the draw. UEFA’s own explainer is the cleanest reference point: UEFA’s knockout phase play-off draw guide.
Seeded vs unseeded: what each team earns before a ball is even drawn
Seeded (9th to 16th) teams get a clear benefit: they play the second leg at home.
That matters because two-leg ties rarely stay calm. A tight first leg can turn into a frantic second leg once an away goal deficit (or any deficit) starts to feel real. The home crowd pushes, the referee feels every shout, and managers can set up to protect or chase a score with 90 minutes left to play.
UEFA will confirm any season-specific details that affect extra time and tie resolution, but the core point stays the same: home advantage in the second leg can swing a tie.
The matchup bands: who can face whom, and a simple example
The key idea is “position bands.” A team does not face just anyone, it faces a club from a linked pair of spots.
Examples that show the pattern:
- 15th or 16th can face 17th or 18th
- 11th or 12th can face 21st or 22nd
BBC’s explainer uses a simple example to show how it works: a seeded pair, such as Newcastle and PSG, could be drawn against an unseeded pair, such as Monaco or Qarabag. That example explains the bands, it does not confirm any real fixture until UEFA completes the draw.
At the time of writing, UEFA will confirm the final ties and which teams fall into the silver or blue route once the draw finishes.
What happens after the play-offs, and how the bracket shapes the road to the final
The knockout phase play-offs produce eight winners. Those eight join the league-phase top eight in the round of 16, turning the tournament into the more familiar last-16 format.
The next big moment comes quickly. UEFA schedules the round of 16 draw on Feb 27, 2026. That draw does more than set the next opponents. It also maps out the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the final bracket, so clubs and fans can see the road ahead.
That bracket matters because the silver or blue pathway from this week can influence who might appear later on the same side of the bracket. It is not only about surviving February, but also about where a team lands in March and beyond.
For another plain-language overview of the bracket and draw dates, ESPN has a running explainer: ESPN guide to the knockout draw and bracket.
Home advantage keeps showing up: seeding rules for the round of 16 and beyond
The league phase does not stop mattering once the knockouts start.
- In the round of 16, the top eight from the league phase are seeded and host the second leg.
- Teams finishing 1st to 4th earn seeding for the quarterfinals, which means a second leg at home if they advance.
- The top two also earn seeding for the semifinals, with the second leg played at home.
UEFA also uses an inheritance rule: if a seeded team is eliminated, the team that defeats them takes that seeding slot in later rounds. That keeps performance in the league phase connected to the entire bracket.
All the Champions League play-off dates and knockout schedule (2026)
Here are the key dates fans frequently ask about, including the Champions League playoff schedule through the final.
| Round | Dates (2026) |
|---|---|
| Knockout phase play-offs, first legs | Feb 17 to 18 |
| Knockout phase play-offs, second legs | Feb 24 to 25 |
| Round of 16, first legs | Mar 10 to 11 |
| Round of 16, second legs | Mar 17 to 18 |
| Quarterfinals, first legs | Apr 7 to 8 |
| Quarterfinals, second legs | Apr 14 to 15 |
| Semifinals, first legs | Apr 28 to 29 |
| Semifinals, second legs | May 5 to 6 |
| Final | May 30, Budapest |
UEFA confirms exact kickoff times after the draw.
For a match-by-match schedule view once ties are known, Sky Sports also keeps an updated format and dates page: Champions League play-off draw format and schedule.
Why does this draw feel so big this year?
February has no mercy. These knockout-phase playoffs fall between domestic title races, cup ties, and travel. Two legs mean there is little room for a slow start.
A poor first leg can force a team into a risky second-leg plan, especially if they travel poorly or rotate too much. The draw also matters because the bracket pathway (silver or blue) can shape the next opponent pool later in the tournament.
In short, this is not a warm-up. It is a gate.
What fans should watch for when the draw drops
A few details will matter right away:
- Who gets the second leg at home (seeded teams do)
- Travel and turnaround time between domestic games and Europe
- Possible rematches from the league phase, UEFA’s rules this season allow teams to face league phase opponents again
- Same-country ties, UEFA’s rules this season allow clubs from the same country to draw each other
FAQ: The Champions League knockout play-off draw explained fast
Q: What is the knockout play-off draw?
A: It is the draw that pairs the teams ranked 9th to 24th in the league phase into eight two-leg ties. Winners move into the round of 16.
Q: Who is seeded, and why?
A: Teams finishing 9th to 16th are seeded. The main reward is hosting the second leg.
Q: When is the Champions League playoff draw time in the US?
A: The draw starts at 11:00 GMT, which is 6:00 ET. It is 12:00 CET in central Europe.
Q: When are the legs played?
A: First legs take place Feb 17 or 18, 2026. Second legs follow Feb 24 or 25, 2026.
Q: What does the silver or blue pathway mean?
A: It refers to which side of the bracket a team lands on. That pathway helps define who a club can meet later, once UEFA sets the round of 16 and beyond.
Q: When is the round of 16 draw date?
A: UEFA schedules the next draw for Feb 27, 2026. It sets the round of 16 ties and the bracket through the final.
Q: Can teams from the same country play each other?
A: UEFA’s rules this season allow same-country matchups in these rounds, so it can happen if the draw produces it.
Conclusion
The Champions League knockout play-off draw starts Friday at 11:00 GMT (12:00 CET, 6:00 ET) in Nyon and will set up eight ties, plus the silver or blue bracket routes. The play-offs run over two legs on Feb 17 to 18 and Feb 24 to 25, after which the next major moment arrives: the Feb 27 round of 16 draw.
For the final pairings and confirmed kickoff times, UEFA’s official channels remain the fastest source after the draw. Bookmark this page, we’ll update it when UEFA confirms the ties and kickoff times.
SEE ALSO: Sports Authority Showcases Chiang Rai Sports City Fight 2025
