The UEFA Youth League knockout stage draw took place in Nyon, Switzerland, on February 6, 2026, determining the path for the 16 remaining teams to the final. Key matchups include Real Madrid facing Chelsea in the round of 16 and Inter taking on Real Betis. The ties will commence on February 24/25, with the final scheduled for April 20.
The draw for the UEFA Youth League round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final occurred at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland, on Friday, February 6, 2026. This event mapped out the knockout phase for the 2025/26 season, involving the 16 winners from the round of 32: Atlético de Madrid, AZ Alkmaar, Benfica, Chelsea, Club Brugge, Eintracht Frankfurt, HJK Helsinki, Inter, Legia Warszawa, Maccabi Haifa, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Betis, Real Madrid, Sporting CP, Villarreal, and Žilina.
In the round of 16, scheduled for February 24/25, 2026, the fixtures are: Inter vs Real Betis, Eintracht Frankfurt vs Sporting CP, Benfica vs AZ Alkmaar, Real Madrid vs Chelsea, Žilina vs Club Brugge, Paris Saint-Germain vs HJK Helsinki, Atlético de Madrid vs Maccabi Haifa, and Villarreal vs Legia Warszawa. Teams from the same association were not drawn against each other, and the draw process involved shuffling balls in a single bowl to assign positions in the bracket, with the first-drawn team in each pairing hosting the single-leg tie.
The quarter-final ties, set for March 17/18, 2026, follow the bracket: Inter/Real Betis vs Benfica/AZ Alkmaar, Real Madrid/Chelsea vs Frankfurt/Sporting CP, Atlético de Madrid/Maccabi Haifa vs Žilina/Club Brugge, and Villarreal/Legia Warszawa vs Paris Saint-Germain/HJK Helsinki. A separate draw determined home advantage for these matches using four bowls representing bracket rungs.
Semi-finals are planned for April 17, 2026, with the winners of quarter-final 1 vs quarter-final 2 and quarter-final 3 vs quarter-final 4, played on neutral venues. The final will occur on April 20, 2026, with the semi-final 1 winner as the nominal home team. No additional draw was needed for these stages due to the fixed bracket from the round of 16.
Dates may adjust with agreement between clubs and UEFA, but must complete by specified deadlines: round of 16 by February 26 and quarter-finals by March 19.
