UCL playoff draw: Where to watch, live stream, teams, seeds, potential matchups

Real Madrid, Inter and PSG are among the teams taking part of the playoff round

By Francesco Porzio

Jan 29, 2026 at 4:15 pm ET • 3 min read

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The 2025-26 Champions League is now entering its key phase after the end of the league phase, which saw some big surprises. Real Madrid, PSG, Inter and Newcastle all failed to end up in the top eight of the first phase and will now have to play the playoffs that will take place in February ahead of the knockouts, starting in March. Jose Mourinho's Benfica are also part of the playoffs after the exciting 4-2 win against Real Madrid that took place on Wednesday, as the Portuguese side managed to qualify for the playoffs thanks to a last-minute goal scored by goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin.

The teams that finished from ninth through 24th in the league phase will take part in the knockout phase playoffs, where a spot in the round of 16 against the top eight is on the line. Heading into Friday's draw, the list of potential opponents for each team is clear but the exact matchups will finally be determined. The two-legged series will take place from Feb. 17 to Feb. 25 before a draw on Feb. 27 determines the remainder of the Champions League bracket and the road to the May 30 final in Budapest. Here's what you need to know before tuning in, and don't forget, you can watch all the Champions League action live on Paramount+.

How to watch

Date: Friday, Jan. 30 | Time: 6 a.m. ET
Location: House of European Football -- Nyon, Switzerland
Watch: CBS Sports Golazo Network

Which teams are in the knockout phase playoffs?

No. 9: Real Madrid
No. 10: Inter
No. 11: PSG
No. 12: Newcastle
No. 13: Juventus
No. 14: Atletico Madrid
No. 15: Atalanta
No. 16: Bayer Leverkusen
No. 17: Borussia Dortmund
No. 18: Olympiacos
No. 19: Club Brugge
No. 20: Galatasaray
No. 21: Qarabag
No. 22: AS Monaco
No. 23: Benfica
No. 24: Bodo/Glimt

What teams avoided the playoffs?

No. 1 Arsenal
No. 2 Bayern Munich
No. 3 Liverpool
No. 4 Tottenham
No. 5 Barcelona
No. 6 Chelsea
No. 7 Sporting CP
No. 8 Man City

Knockout round playoffs: Seeded pairings and unseeded pairings

Here is how things look from a pairing standpoint, with what seeded teams can meet what unseeded teams.

UEFA Champions League bracket

The road to Budapest 🏆#UCL pic.twitter.com/3rNdxy6Rys
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 28, 2026

How does the draw work?

Teams that finished ninth through 16th in the league phase are seeded, while the rest are unseeded. The seeded teams will then be drawn against unseeded teams based on predetermined pairings.

Here is each team's list of potential opponents.

Real Madrid's possible opponents in knockout playoffs: Bodo/Glimt, Benfica
Inter's possible opponents in knockout playoffs: Bodo/Glimt, Benfica
PSG's possible opponents in knockout playoffs: AS Monaco, Qarabag
Newcastle's possible opponents in knockout playoffs: AS Monaco, Qarabag
Juventus's possible opponents in knockout playoffs: Club Brugge, Galatasaray
Atletico Madrid's possible opponents in knockout playoffs: Club Brugge, Galatasaray
Atalanta's possible opponents in knockout playoffs: Borussia Dortmund, Olympiacos
Bayer Leverkusen's possible opponents in knockout playoffs: Borussia Dortmund, Olympiacos
Borussia Dortmund's possible opponents in knockout playoffs: Atalanta, Bayer Leverkusen
Olympiacos's possible opponents in knockout playoffs: Atalanta, Bayer Leverkusen
Club Brugge's possible opponents in knockout playoffs: Juventus, Atletico Madrid
Galatasaray's possible opponents in knockout playoffs: Juventus, Atletico Madrid
Qarabag's possible opponents in knockout playoffs: Newcastle, PSG
AS Monaco's possible opponents in knockout playoffs: Newcastle, PSG
Bodo/Glimt's possible opponents in knockout playoffs: Inter, Real Madrid
Benfica's possible opponents in knockout playoffs: Inter, Real Madrid

What does the path look like for the round of 16?

The top eight teams in the league phase will be seeded in this round after securing direct passageway to the last 16. The eight winners from the knockout phase playoffs will be unseeded and will be drawn against the seeded teams, again using predetermined rankings. The round of 16 draw on Feb. 27 will determine the matchups, as well as the rest of the bracket.

Here is each team's list of potential opponents for the round of 16:

Arsenal's possible opponents in round of 16: Atalanta, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, Olympiacos
Bayern Munich's possible opponents in round of 16: Atalanta, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, Olympiacos
Liverpool's possible opponents in round of 16: Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Club Brugge, Galatasaray
Tottenham's possible opponents in round of 16: Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Club Brugge, Galatasaray
Barcelona's possible opponents in round of 16: PSG, Newcastle, AS Monaco, Qarabag
Chelsea's possible opponents in round of 16: PSG, Newcastle, AS Monaco, Qarabag
Sporting CP's possible opponents in round of 16: Real Madrid, Inter, Bodo/Glimt, Benfica
Manchester City's possible opponents in round of 16: Real Madrid, Inter, Bodo/Glimt, Benfica

What are the rules for the knockout stages?

The rest of the tournament will take place over two-legged series, minus the final, with teams advancing to the next round based on aggregate scores. The away goals rule will not apply, with teams advancing to extra time and, if needed, penalties if they are tied after 90 minutes in the second leg.