Champions League playoff draw: opponents and rules

Following the final matchday of the League Phase, which featured all 36 Champions League teams in action, the knockout-stage pathway has now been confirmed, from the playoff round through to the eight teams that will qualify directly for the round of 16.

Inter ended the league phase with a 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund and finished 10th on 15 points. As a result, they will face either Benfica or Bodø/Glimt in the playoffs. The Nerazzurri are among the teams that placed between 9th and 24th in the League Phase and will therefore compete in the knockout-stage playoffs, with the eight winners advancing directly to the round of 16.

The draw for the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 knockout-stage playoffs will be held on Friday, 30 January at 12:00 CET.

THE DRAW

The draw for the knockout-stage playoffs involves the teams that finished between 9th and 24th place in the league phase and will take place on Friday, 30 January at 12:00 CET at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland. The eight winners will qualify directly for the round of 16.

TEAMS IN THE KNOCKOUT-STAGE PLAYOFFS Seeded teams Real Madrid (ESP) Inter (ITA) Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) Newcastle (ENG) Juventus (ITA) Atletico Madrid (ESP) Atalanta (ITA) Leverkusen (GER)

Unseeded Borussia Dortmund (GER) Olympiacos (GRE) Club Brugge (BEL) Galatasaray (TUR) Monaco (FRA) Qarabağ (AZE) Bodø/Glimt (NOR) Benfica (POR)

The knockout-stage playoff ties are decided by a draw based on the following principles:

a. Teams are grouped according to their final league-phase positions, forming four seeded pairs (positions 9–10, 11–12, 13–14 and 15–16) and four unseeded pairs (17–18, 19–20, 21–22 and 23–24).

b. Each seeded pair is drawn against a corresponding unseeded pair: 9th or 10th vs 23rd or 24th, 11th or 12th vs 21st or 22nd, 13th or 14th vs 19th or 20th, 15th or 16th vs 17th or 18th.

Clubs may be drawn against teams from the same national association, and rematches from the league phase are also permitted.

SPAREGGI | LE DATE

Le sfide prevedono una partita di andata e una di ritorno; in linea di principio, la squadra testa di serie giocherà la gara di ritorno in casa. In linea di massima, ogni squadra giocherà una volta il martedì e una il mercoledì.

Andata: 17/18 febbraio 2026 Ritorno: 24/25 febbraio 2026

La UEFA confermerà il calendario, comprese le date delle partite e gli orari di inizio, una volta effettuato il sorteggio. Le otto squadre che superano gli spareggi per la fase a eliminazione diretta accedono agli ottavi di finale, che verranno sorteggiati venerdì 27 febbraio 2026.

FASE A ELIMINAZIONE DIRETTA | LE DATE

Spareggi per la fase a eliminazione diretta: 17/18 e 24/25 febbraio 2026 Sorteggio ottavi di finale, quarti di finale e semifinali: 27 febbraio 2026 Ottavi di finale: 10/11 e 17/18 marzo 2026 Quarti di finale: 7/8 e 14/15 aprile 2026 Semifinali: 28/29 aprile e 5/6 maggio 2026 Finale: 30 maggio 2026 (Budapest)