Champions League
UEFA Champions League 2026: League Phase Results, Possible Play-Off Matchups, & Key Dates
The 2025/26 UEFA Champions League is heating up. With the brand-new league phase now complete, the competition enters the business end of the season.
The next few weeks will determine who survives, who falls, and who ultimately makes it to Budapest for the final.
Below is a comprehensive guide to everything you need to know from draw schedules and confirmed qualifiers to the revamped tournament format and the key fixtures still to come.
Champions League Draws So Far
League Phase Draw How It Worked
The draw for the new-look league phase took place on August 28th in Monaco. A total of 36 teams were divided into four pots of nine, determined by UEFA club coefficients.
The Champions League holders, Paris Saint-Germain, automatically entered Pot 1 as top seeds.
Teams were then manually drawn, with UEFA software generating each club’s eight opponents two from each pot, one at home and one away. Clubs could not face more than two teams from the same domestic league, nor play teams from their own association.
This was the second year of UEFA’s 36-team league format, replacing the old 32-team group stage.
Knockout Play-Off Draw
With the league phase concluded, the focus now shifts to the knockout play-off draw, which determines the final eight teams to join the top eight in the round of 16.
Date & Time
Friday, January 30th, 2026, 1:00 WAT
The draw will be streamed live on UEFA.com and the official UEFA Champions League app.
Only teams finishing 9th to 24th take part in this round.
Final Draw for Round of 16 & Beyond
Once the knockout play-offs conclude, the final tournament draw, covering the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final brackets, will be held on, February 27th, 2026.
The draw includes the top eight teams from the league phase, who are seeded, and the eight unseeded playoff winners.
Champions League Format Explained
UEFA restructured all European competitions last season by introducing a new 36-team league phase to replace the traditional 32-team group stage.
In this format, all 36 teams play eight matches each. Opponents are drawn using a seeded pot system.
The final league standings determine each team’s fate, the top 8 teams advance directly to the round of 16, the teams ranked 9th to 24th enter the knockout playoffs, and the teams ranked 25th to 36th are eliminated, with no Europa League drop-down.
Knockout Phase
Round of 16 draw pairs seeded (top eight) with unseeded (play-off winners).
From the quarter-finals onward, the competition becomes a traditional knockout bracket leading to the final.
The following teams finished in the top eight of the league phase and advance straight to the round of 16:
1. Arsenal (ENG)
2. Bayern Munich (GER)
3. Liverpool (ENG)
4. Tottenham Hotspur (ENG)
5. Barcelona (ESP)
6. Chelsea (ENG)
7. Sporting CP (POR)
8. Manchester City (ENG)
This is a hugely Premier League-heavy top eight, with five English teams securing automatic qualification.
Knockout Play-Off Teams (Positions 9–24)
These 16 clubs must navigate a two-legged knockout tie to reach the last 16:
9. Real Madrid (ESP)
10. Inter Milan (ITA)
11. Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
12. Newcastle United (ENG)
13. Juventus (ITA)
14. Atletico Madrid (ESP)
15. Atalanta (ITA)
16. Bayer Leverkusen (GER)
17. Borussia Dortmund (GER)
18. Olympiacos (GRE)
19. Club Brugge (BEL)
20. Galatasaray (TUR)
21. Monaco (FRA)
22. Qarabag (AZE)
23. Bodo/Glimt (NOR)
24. Benfica (POR)
Possible Play-Off Matchups
The knockout play-off rules state that teams placed 9th–16th face sides placed 17th–24th, with higher-ranked teams hosting the second leg.
Here are the possible pairings:
Real Madrid (9) vs Bodo/Glimt (23) / Benfica (24)
Inter Milan (10) vs Bodo/Glimt (23) / Benfica (24)
PSG (11) vs Monaco (21) / Qarabag (22)
Newcastle (12) vs Monaco (21) / Qarabag (22)
Juventus (13) vs Club Brugge (19) / Galatasaray (20)
Atletico Madrid (14) vs Club Brugge (19) / Galatasaray (20)
Atalanta (15) vs Borussia Dortmund (17) / Olympiacos (18)
Bayer Leverkusen (16) vs Borussia Dortmund (17) / Olympiacos (18)
These potential matchups promise tremendous storylines from Real Madrid possibly meeting European dark horses Bodo/Glimt, to a French clash between PSG and Monaco.
Teams Eliminated After the League Phase
Twelve clubs saw their European campaigns end with the league phase. There is no Europa League drop-down under the new format.
Eliminated sides (alphabetical order):
- Ajax
- Athletic Club
- Eintracht Frankfurt
- FC Copenhagen
- Kairat Almaty
- Marseille
- Napoli
- Pafos
- PSV Eindhoven
- Royale Union Saint-Gilloise
- Slavia Prague
- Villarreal
2025/26 Champions League Key Dates
League Phase First Matchday: September 16–18, 2025
League Phase Last Matchday: January 28, 2026
Knockout Play-Off Draw: January 30, 2026
Knockout Play-Off Matches:
First legs: February 17 & 18
Second legs: February 24 & 25
Final Tournament Draw: February 27, 2026
Round of 16:
First legs: March 10 & 11
Second legs: March 17 & 18
Quarter-Finals:
First legs: April 7 & 8
Second legs: April 14 & 15
Semi-Finals:
First legs: April 28 & 29
Second legs: May 5 & 6
Champions League Final:
May 30, 2026 at the Puskás Aréna, Budapest
2026 Champions League Final Budapest Awaits
The showpiece event takes place at the 67,215-capacity Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary. This marks the first time the country will host a Champions League final.
The stadium, known for its striking design and electric atmosphere, is expected to deliver one of the most memorable finals in recent years.
