Champions League knockout phase playoffs: Draw details, key dates and who could face who?

The League Phase of the 2025-26 Champions League came to a close in dramatic fashion on Wednesday night, with eight teams sealing automatic last-16 qualification, 16 sides entering the playoffs and eight clubs suffering an early elimination.

Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting Lisbon and Manchester City have all punched their ticket to the last 16 and have avoided a two-legged playoff, but 16 other sides still have their fate to be decided.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at everything you need to know about the Champions League knockout phase playoff draw and which teams could play against each other.

When and where is the Champions League knockout playoff draw taking place?

The 2025-26 Champions League knockout phase playoff draw will be staged at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland and will take place at 11:00 GMT on Friday, January 30.

Which teams are in the Champions League knockout playoff draw?

The 16 teams involved were confirmed following the conclusion of the League Phase. Teams who finished ninth to 16th will be seeded for the draw, while teams who finished 17th to 24th will be unseeded.

Seeded teams:

9th - Real Madrid (ESP)

10th - Inter Milan (ITA)

11th - Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)

12th - Newcastle United (ENG)

13th - Juventus (ITA)

14th - Atletico Madrid (ESP)

15th - Atalanta BC (ITA)

16th - Bayer Leverkusen (GER)

Unseeded teams:

17th - Borussia Dortmund (GER)

18th - Olympiacos (GRE)

19th - Club Brugge (BEL)

20th - Galatasaray (TUR)

21st - Monaco (FRA)

22nd - Qarabag FK (AZE)

23rd - Bodo/Glimt (NOR)

24th - Benfica (POR)

Who will face who in the Champions League knockout playoffs?

Teams are paired together based on where they finished in the League Phase to form seeded and unseeded pairs.

Seeded teams are drawn against unseeded teams. For example, ninth and 10th will face 23rd and 24th.

All seeded teams will play the second legs of these playoff ties at home.

Champions League knockout playoffs draw:

Unseeded | Monaco/Qarabag vs. PSG/Newcastle | Seeded

Unseeded | Club Brugge/Galatasaray vs. Juventus/Atletico Madrid | Seeded

Unseeded | Bodo/Glimt/Benfica vs. Real Madrid/Inter Milan | Seeded

Unseeded | Borussia Dortmund/Olympiacos vs. Atalanta/Bayer Leverkusen | Seeded

What follows the Champions League knockout playoffs?

The eight teams that win their playoff ties progress to the last 16 and will be drawn against the League Phase’s top-eight sides.

From here on, the competition follows a knockout format, with all ties played over two legs except for the final.

Just like in the playoffs, League Phase position are used to determine seedings in the last 16, with seeded teams, who finished in the top eight, given the advantage of playing their second legs at home.

The 2025-26 campaign will be the first in which final League Phase positions will also determine seedings for the quarter-finals and semi-finals, with teams finishing first to fourth (Arsenal, Bayern, Liverpool and Spurs) seeded for the quarter-finals and given the second-leg home advantage for a possible quarter-final match.

The top-two teams in the League Phase (Arsenal and Bayern) will also be seeded for the semi-finals and will receive the second leg of those ties at home should they reach that stage.

If any seeded team fails to reach the quarter-finals or semi-finals, the team that successfully knocked them out will automatically inherit their seeding position.