What Happened
The UEFA Champions League knockout phase playoff draw took place on January 31, 2026, setting up eight two-legged ties that will determine which teams advance to the round of 16.
The headline matchup: Jose Mourinho’s Benfica will face Real Madrid — a rematch just three weeks after their dramatic league phase encounter where goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored a 98th-minute header to seal a stunning 4-2 victory for the Portuguese side.
Key Matchups
Benfica vs Real Madrid
This is the tie everyone is talking about. Benfica have won three of the clubs’ previous four European meetings, including the 1962 European Cup final. Mourinho, who previously managed Real Madrid from 2010-2013, now has another chance to get one over on his former club.
The drama from their January 29 meeting — where Trubin’s last-gasp goal clinched Benfica’s playoff spot while dropping Madrid out of the top-eight automatic qualifying places — adds extra spice to this fixture.
Monaco vs Paris Saint-Germain
An all-French clash between Ligue 1 rivals. PSG, the defending champions who finished 11th in the league phase, face Monaco who sit 21 points and nine places below them in domestic competition.
Newcastle vs Qarabag
Newcastle finished 12th in the league phase and will face Azerbaijani champions Qarabag. The English side will be heavy favorites — Qarabag have not beaten a Premier League team in nine previous attempts and were defeated 6-0 by Liverpool at Anfield in their final league phase outing.
Full Playoff Draw
| Seeded Team (9th-16th) | Unseeded Team (17th-24th) |
|---|---|
| Bodo/Glimt | Inter Milan |
| Benfica | Real Madrid |
| Monaco | Paris Saint-Germain |
| Qarabag | Newcastle United |
| Galatasaray | Juventus |
| Club Brugge | Atletico Madrid |
| Borussia Dortmund | Atalanta |
| Olympiacos | Bayer Leverkusen |
Teams Already Through to Round of 16
The following teams finished in the top eight of the league phase and have automatically qualified:
- Liverpool
- Barcelona
- Arsenal
- Inter Milan
- Atletico Madrid
- Bayer Leverkusen
- Lille
- Aston Villa
Five Premier League clubs (Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Tottenham) all secured automatic qualification.
Schedule
| Round | Dates |
|---|---|
| Playoffs - First Leg | February 17-18, 2026 |
| Playoffs - Second Leg | February 24-25, 2026 |
| Round of 16 | March 10-11 and 17-18, 2026 |
| Quarter-finals | April 7-8 and 14-15, 2026 |
| Semi-finals | April 28-29 and May 5-6, 2026 |
| Final | May 30, 2026 |
The final will be held at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary.
What’s Next
The eight playoff winners will advance to the round of 16, where they will face the top eight finishers from the league phase. Teams’ final ranking in the league phase will influence seeding, with higher-placed teams earning the advantage of playing their second leg at home.
The draw for the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final pathway will take place on February 27, 2026.
Sources
- ESPN - Champions League playoffs: Real Madrid get Jose Mourinho’s Benfica rematch
- BBC Sport - Champions League draw: Real Madrid to face Benfica, Newcastle to face Qarabag
- UEFA.com - Champions League knockout phase play-off draw
Last updated: 2026-02-01 11:00 UTC