After one of the most riveting and dramatic nights in Champions League history, we witnessed a wave of upsets and thrilling encounters across Europe. Established giants like Real Madrid slipped out of the top 8, while surprise contenders such as Tottenham Hotspur and Sporting FC fought their way into the elite positions. With the league phase now concluded, attention turns to the teams finishing between 9th and 24th. These sides will enter a high-stakes knockout playoff, where every match is do-or-die. The winners will earn their place in the Round of 16 and go on to challenge the teams already secured in the top 8, setting the stage for yet another gripping chapter of the Champions League.
When and Where will the draw take place?
The draw will take place on 30th January, 2026, Friday at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland. Things will kick off at 11:00 GMT / 12:00 CET / 4:30 PM IST.
Fans from all round the world can stream the event for free on UEFA platforms like UEFA.com and UEFA Champions League App. Fans from India can also stream on Sony Sports Network / SonyLIV.
What is the process of Draw?
After the Matchday 8, these are the top 8 teams that have directly qualified to the Round of 16.
- The teams ranked from 9th to 24th are divided in 2 categories.
The teams ranked between 9th and 16th are called the Seeded Teams.
The teams ranked between 17th and 24th are called the Unseeded Teams.
This division is made so as to make sure the teams finishing higher gets an opponent from lower ranked teams.
2. Teams are grouped into paired slots determined by their league position:
- 9–10 vs 23–24
- 11–12 vs 21–22
- 13–14 vs 19–20
- 15–16 vs 17–18
3. The unseeded teams are drawn first. The first team drawn is put in the 1st half of the bracket and the other team of that paired group is automatically put in the 2nd half of the bracket. For example if the 21st position team is drawn, it is put in the 1st half and the 22nd position team is automatically put in the 2nd half.
4. The draw then moves to the seeded teams and the same procedure is done of teams putting in 1st and 2nd half. This way the matches get created for the teams.
5. Taking the same example from point number 3, if the 21st position team is drawn, it is put in the 1st half and the 22nd position team is automatically put in the 2nd half. The team pair corresponding to 21-22 is 11-12, so if the 12th position team was drawn first and put in 1st half, we would witness a match between the 21st and 12th position team and the other between the 11th and the 22nd position team.
6. A separate draw will also happen to decide which team will play the 1st leg at their home turf.
7. The winner of these teams will face the top 8 teams according to this chart.
8. Once the 8 playoff winners are decided, there will be another draw for the Round of 16 bracket. The Round of 16 draw is scheduled for Friday, 27 February 2026 after the playoff ties are completed.
The last matchday was already one of the most dramatic ones. Get ready as to what the next phase of Champions League has in store for us.
