The UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off draw on January 30, 2026, paired Benfica with Real Madrid in a rematch just weeks after Benfica's dramatic victory. Newcastle United face a long trip to Qarabag, while Paris Saint-Germain meet Monaco in an all-French tie. The draw, held in Nyon, Switzerland, determines the final eight teams to join the top eight in the round of 16.
The draw for the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-offs took place at UEFA's House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland, on January 30, 2026, at 12:00 CET. It involved the 16 teams that finished ninth to 24th in the league phase, which concluded with high drama on January 28, including Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin's 98th-minute header securing a 4-2 win over Real Madrid to qualify.
The pairings, based on league phase positions to form seeded and unseeded groups, are: Benfica vs Real Madrid, Bodø/Glimt vs Inter Milan, Monaco vs Paris Saint-Germain, Qarabağ vs Newcastle United, Galatasaray vs Juventus, Club Brugge vs Atlético Madrid, Borussia Dortmund vs Atalanta, and Olympiacos vs Bayer Leverkusen. Seeded teams, including Real Madrid and Inter Milan, will host the second legs. First legs are scheduled for February 17 and 18, with returns on February 24 and 25.
This format rewards the top eight—Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting CP, and Manchester City—with direct entry to the round of 16. Newcastle, the only English side in the play-offs after a 1-1 draw at PSG, must overcome Qarabağ's challenge despite a 6-0 loss to Liverpool in the league phase. PSG, last season's winners, face Monaco, whom they beat 1-0 in November but who sit 10th in Ligue 1.
José Mourinho's return to the Bernabéu with Benfica adds intrigue, as does Victor Osimhen facing Juventus at Galatasaray. The winners advance to face top-eight sides in the round of 16 draw on February 27, with the final set for May 30 in Budapest's Puskás Aréna.
UEFA's Giorgio Marchetti highlighted the league phase's 487 goals, noting first-time play-off participants like Qarabağ and Bodø/Glimt. The away goals rule is abolished, ensuring ties are decided on aggregate scores.
