when is the champions league playoff draw
The Champions League knockout phase play-off draw for the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League is scheduled for:
- Date: Friday, 30 January 2026
- Context: This draw comes right after the end of the new “league phase” and determines the playoff ties for places in the Round of 16.
Quick Scoop
- The 2025–26 season uses UEFA’s new league-phase format, with 36 teams playing eight games before knockouts.
- Teams finishing 9th–24th in the league phase go into the knockout play-offs , which this draw will pair into two-legged ties.
- The play-off legs are set for 17–18 February 2026 and 24–25 February 2026.
- Winners of these ties join the top eight in the Round of 16 , whose draw is scheduled for 27 February 2026.
Key Dates Table (HTML)
| Stage | Event | Date(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Knockout Play-offs | Draw | 30 January 2026 (Friday) | [9][7]
| Knockout Play-offs | First legs | 17–18 February 2026 | [5][3][7]
| Knockout Play- offs | Second legs | 24–25 February 2026 | [3][5][7]
| Round of 16 | Draw | 27 February 2026 | [5][7]
| Round of 16 | First legs | 10–11 March 2026 | [3][5][7]
| Round of 16 | Second legs | 17–18 March 2026 | [5][7][3]
Mini “Forum style” take
“So, when is the Champions League playoff draw?”
It’s locked in for Friday 30 January 2026 , right after the league phase wraps, setting up those high-pressure playoff ties that decide who actually makes it to the last 16.
Quick viewpoints
- Fan angle: It’s basically “judgment day” for teams who didn’t crack the top eight but are still alive.
- Club angle: Finishing higher in the league phase still matters for seeding and who you draw.
- TV/streaming angle: The draw will be produced as a standalone event from UEFA HQ in Nyon, as usual.
TL;DR:
If you’re just tracking the date: the Champions League playoff draw is on
Friday, 30 January 2026 , with the playoff ties played on 17–18 and 24–25
February 2026.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.