Kick-off: January 30, 2026, at 13:00.

At the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland, the draw for the UEFA Champions League knockout playoff matches will take place. After the conclusion of the league phase, sixteen teams have been determined that will compete for places in the Round of 16 through an additional playoff round. While the eight strongest clubs have already secured direct qualification for the next stage, the teams that finished from ninth to twenty-fourth are waiting to learn their opponents. The procedure will form eight pairings, which will face each other in two-legged ties for the right to continue the path toward the most prestigious club trophy in world football.

Watch the Champions League knockout playoff draw on 30.01.2026 online on MEGOGO.

The participants have been divided into two pots according to their final positions in the standings. The seeded teams include such giants as Real Madrid, Inter, PSG, Newcastle United, Juventus, Atlético, Atalanta, and Bayer. The unseeded group consists of Borussia Dortmund, Olympiacos, Club Brugge, Galatasaray, Monaco, Qarabag, Bodø/Glimt, and Benfica. Notably, at this stage, there are no geographical restrictions, which allows meetings between representatives of the same domestic league or teams that have already faced each other during the league phase.

The draw process is structured so that the highest-ranked teams among the seeded clubs will be paired with opponents that finished in the lowest positions of the unseeded list. The first legs of the playoff ties are scheduled for 17 and 18 February, with the return matches to be played a week later, on 24 and 25 February. The winners of these pairings will join Arsenal, Bayern, Liverpool, and other leaders in the Round of 16. The official ceremony in Nyon will mark the start of the decisive phase of the tournament, where every detail of the draw can influence the outcome of the main contenders for the title.

Watch the broadcast of the Champions League knockout playoff draw on 30.01.2026 online on MEGOGO.