Updated 29 January 2026 at 15:25 IST
UEFA Champions League Playoffs Draw: Teams, Format, Date, Live Streaming And Everything You Need To Know
Eight teams have qualified for the Champions League knockouts, while 16 teams will fight among themselves in the UCL playoffs. Here's what you need to know about the Champions League playoffs draw.
- SportFit
- 3 min read

Chaos ensued in the last phase of the Champions League as teams saw their hopes being dashed by some last-minute goals. It has been a happy hunting ground for the English Premier League as five teams from England have qualified for the knockout stage, while Newcastle United will have to make it through the playoffs in order to secure a place in the knockouts.
A last-minute goal from Benfica against Real Madrid propelled the Portuguese team to the playoffs, while the Spanish team missed out on an automatic spot by a slender margin. Apart from the five English teams, only Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona are through to the knockouts and will wait for their opponents, while teams finished from 9th to 24th will be drawn into the playoffs, a format which was introduced by UEFA at the start of last season.
Teams Qualified For Champions League Knockouts
Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting Lisbon, Manchester City.
Teams Qualified For Champions League Playoffs
9. Real Madrid (Spain)
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10. Inter Milan (Italy)
11. Paris St. Germain (France)
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12. Newcastle United (England)
13. Juventus (Italy)
14. Atletico Madrid (Spain)
15. Atalanta (Italy)
16. Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)
The remaining teams are unseeded:
17. Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
18. Olympiacos (Greece)
19. Club Brugge (Belgium)
20. Galatasaray (Turkey)
21. AS Monaco (France)
22. Qarabag (Azerbaijan)
23. Bodo/Glimt (Norway)
24. Benfica (Portugal)
Champions League Playoffs Draw Format
Teams will be divided into seeded and unseeded pairs on the basis of how they finished after the group phase. Four seeded pairs will be pitted against four unseeded pairs. Teams finishing from 9-16 will be seeded, while the rest of the teams will be put under an unseeded bracket.
How Seeding could look like
9th or 10th vs 23rd or 24th
11th or 12th vs 21 or 22
13th or 14th vs 19th or 20th
15th or 16th vs 17th or 18th
Possible UCL Playoffs Draw Scenario
Monaco or Qarabag vs. Paris Saint-Germain or Newcastle (for the right to play Barcelona or Chelsea)
Club Brugge or Galatasaray vs. Juventus or Atletico Madrid (for the right to play Liverpool or Tottenham)
Bodo/Glimt or Benfica vs. Real Madrid or Inter Milan (for the right to play Sporting Lisbon or Manchester City)
Borussia Dortmund or Olympiakos vs. Atalanta or Bayer Leverkusen (for the right to play Arsenal or Bayern Munich)
Qarabag or Monaco vs. Newcastle or Paris Saint-Germain (for the right to play Chelsea or Barcelona)
Galatasaray or Club Brugge vs. Atletico Madrid or Juventus (for the right to play Tottenham or Liverpool)
Benfica or Bodo/Glimt vs. Inter Milan or Real Madrid (for the right to play Manchester City or Sporting Lisbon)
Olympiakos or Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayer Leverkusen or Atalanta (for the right to play Bayern Munich or Arsenal)
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When will the Champions League playoff draw take place?
The Champions League playoff draw will be held at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland. The draw will start at 4:30 PM IST. The draw will be live-streamed on the official UEFA website while fans can also watch it on the official app.
(With AP Inputs)
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Published By : Anirban Sarkar
Published On: 29 January 2026 at 15:21 IST