The UCL Knockout Round Play-Off draw is scheduled for 11:00 UTC in Nyon, Switzerland. The following outlines exactly what will occur during this draw.
Draw Rules:
Clubs are grouped according to their positions at the end of the league phase, forming four seeded pairs (positions 9 and 10, 11 and 12, 13 and 14, 15 and 16) and four unseeded pairs (positions 17 and 18, 19 and 20, 21 and 22, 23 and 24).
Each seeded pair will be drawn into the knockout phase bracket against one of the unseeded pairs:
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Clubs 9 or 10 face clubs 23 or 24
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Clubs 11 or 12 face clubs 21 or 22
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Clubs 13 or 14 face clubs 19 or 20
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Clubs 15 or 16 face clubs 17 or 18
Teams that are seeded for the quarter-finals (finishing first to fourth in the league phase) will have the advantage of hosting the second leg of their quarter-final tie if they advance. Similarly, seeded teams for the semi-finals (finishing first and second in the league phase) will host the second leg of their semi-final tie if they reach that stage. If a seeded team is eliminated, the team that defeats them inherits their seeding position.
Timeline:
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Knockout phase play-offs: 17/18 & 24/25 February 2026
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Round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final draws: 27 February 2026
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Round of 16: 10/11 & 17/18 March 2026
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Quarter-finals: 7/8 & 14/15 April 2026
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Semi-finals: 28/29 April & 5/6 May 2026
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Final: 30 May 2026 (Budapest)
