UCL play-off draw confirmed: Newcastle vs Qarabag, PSG vs Monaco, dates locked for February showdowns | OneFootball

The draw for the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League play-off round has been made.

The 16 teams who qualified for theChampions League play-off round have now discovered their opponents. Once the eight winners of the play-offs have been determined, those teams progress to face the top eight-placed teams from the league phase.

AsArsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Manchester City all secured a top-eight finishes, Newcastle United are the only Premier League team in the play-offs.

The Magpies will face Qarabag. The Azerbaijani side face English opposition for a third time this season after league-phase games againstChelsea and Liverpool.

Real Madrid will take on Benfica in a rematch of their thrilling matchday eight fixture. Benfica secured progress in dramatic fashion as goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored in stoppage-time to send the Portuguese side through.

Last season's runners-up,Inter Milan, will meet Bodo/Glimt. The Norwegian debutants secured shock wins over Manchester City and Atletico Madrid to make the knockout rounds.

Elsewhere, holders Paris Saint-Germain face AS Monaco in a first-ever European meeting between the French sides. PSG also faced French opposition in the play-off round last season, beating Brest over two legs.

Champions League play-off round draw

When will the knockout phase play-off games take place?

The play-off round will be two-legged ties, with the first fixtures scheduled forFebruary 17th and 18th, and the returns a week later on February 24th and 25th.

The winners of the ties will progress to the Round of 16, to face the top eight teams from the league phase. A draw will take place for the Round of 16 fixtures on Friday 27th February 2026.

Champions League knockout phase fixture dates

Last 16: 10-11 and 17-18 March

Quarter-finals: 7-8 and 14-15 April

Semi-finals: 28-29 April and 5-6 May

Final: 30 May