Champions League 2025/26: Who’s Still in, Play-Offs Schedule & Upcoming Draws

The 2025/26 UEFA Champions League league phase has concluded, and the competition now moves into the knockout stages. Here’s everything you need to know about which teams are still alive, key dates, and the next draw.

Champions League Draws

The league phase draw took place on August 28th, 2025, in Monaco. The 36 qualified teams were split into four pots of nine based on their UEFA club coefficient, with PSG, the reigning Champions League winners, automatically seeded in Pot 1.

Teams were drawn to face eight opponents—two from each pot—with one game at home and one away. Clubs could not face teams from their own association more than twice.

The knockout play-offs draw took place on January 30th, involving the teams that finished 9th to 24th in the league phase.

The final draw, which covers the round of 16 and beyond, is set for Friday, February 27th, 2026. This draw will include the top eight teams from the league phase and the eight winners from the knockout play-offs. It will be streamed live on UEFA.com and the official Champions League app.

Top Eight Teams (Progress Directly to Round of 16)

1. Arsenal (ENG)
2. Bayern Munich (GER)
3. Liverpool (ENG)
4. Tottenham Hotspur (ENG)
5. Barcelona (ESP)
6. Chelsea (ENG)
7. Sporting CP (POR)
8. Manchester City (ENG)

Knockout Play-Off Teams (League Phase Positions 9–24)

9. Real Madrid (ESP)
10. Inter Milan (ITA)
11. Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
12. Newcastle (ENG)
13. Juventus (ITA)
14. Atletico Madrid (ESP)
15. Atalanta (ITA)
16. Bayer Leverkusen (GER)
17. Borussia Dortmund (GER)
18. Olympiacos (GRE)
19. Club Brugge (BEL)
20. Galatasaray (TUR)
21. Monaco (FRA)
22. Qarabag (AZE)
23. Bodo/Glimt (NOR)
24. Benfica (POR)

Knockout Play-Off Fixtures

• Real Madrid (9) vs Benfica (24)
• Inter Milan (10) vs Bodo/Glimt (23)
• PSG (11) vs Monaco (21)
• Newcastle (12) vs Qarabag (22)
• Juventus (13) vs Galatasaray (20)
• Atletico Madrid (14) vs Club Brugge (19)
• Atalanta (15) vs Borussia Dortmund (17)
• Bayer Leverkusen (16) vs Olympiacos (18)

Teams Eliminated After League Phase

Ajax, Athletic Club, Eintracht Frankfurt, FC Copenhagen, Kairat Almaty, Marseille, Napoli, Pafos, PSV Eindhoven, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, Slavia Prague, Villarreal

Key Upcoming Dates – 2025/26 Champions League

• League Phase First Matchday: September 16–18, 2025
• League Phase Last Matchday: January 28, 2026
• Knockout Play-Offs Draw: January 30, 2026
• Knockout Play-Offs: February 17–18 (1st legs), February 24–25 (2nd legs)
• Round of 16 & Beyond Draw: February 27, 2026
• Round of 16: March 10–11 (1st legs), March 17–18 (2nd legs)
• Quarter-Finals: April 7–8 (1st legs), April 14–15 (2nd legs)
• Semi-Finals: April 28–29 (1st legs), May 5–6 (2nd legs)
• Final: May 30, 2026

Champions League Final 2025/26

The final will be staged on May 30, 2026, at the Puskás Arena in Budapest, Hungary, with a capacity of 67,215. This is the first time Hungary will host a Champions League final.

Format Explained

This season continues the new 36-team league phase format, replacing the old 32-team group stage. Each team plays eight games in the league phase.

• Top 8 teams automatically progress to the round of 16.
• Teams finishing 9th–24th enter the knockout play-offs to determine the remaining eight spots in the round of 16.
• Bottom 8 teams are eliminated and do not drop into the Europa League.

From the round of 16 onwards, the competition follows a standard knockout format: seeded teams face unseeded teams, leading to the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and ultimately the final.