The league phase of the 2025/26 Champions League has officially concluded, leaving us with a clear picture of which teams have secured their spot in the Round of 16 and which must now navigate the high-stakes knockout play-off round to stay in the competition.
Okay News reports that eight elite clubs have already punched their tickets to the next stage by finishing in the top eight of the table. However, sixteen other teams—ranked 9th to 24th—now face a two-legged battle in February to determine who will join them.
The Automatic Qualifiers (Last 16)
The following eight teams finished at the top of the league phase and will bypass the play-off round:
1. Arsenal
2. Bayern Munich
3. Liverpool
4. Tottenham
5. Barcelona
6. Chelsea
7. porting
8. Man City
The Play-Off Contenders
These 16 teams will compete in the play-offs. The draw, held this Friday in Switzerland, will pair teams from the “upper” bracket (9th–16th) against those in the “lower” bracket (17th–24th):
9th: Real Madrid
10th: Inter Milan
11th: PSG
12th: Newcastle
13th: Juventus
14th: Atletico Madrid
15th: Atalanta
16th: Bayer Leverkusen
17th: Borussia Dortmund
18th: Olympiakos
19th: Club Brugge
20th: Galatasaray
21st: Monaco
22nd: Qarabag
23rd: Bodo/Glimt
24th: Benfica
How the Draw and Format Work
The knockout phase play-offs are designed to reward league positioning while ensuring a competitive path to the trophy. Each team is placed in a specific path based on their rank. For example, Newcastle (12th) is guaranteed to face either Qarabag (22nd) or Monaco (21st).
Unlike previous iterations of the tournament, there are no country protections at this stage; teams from the same national association can be drawn against each other, as can teams that already met during the league phase.
Key Dates for Your Diary
Play-Off Draw: Friday, January 30, 2026 (11:00 AM)
Play-Off First Legs: February 17–18, 2026
Play-Off Second Legs: February 24–25, 2026
Round of 16 Draw: February 27, 2026
The winners of these play-off ties will advance to the Round of 16 as unseeded teams, where they will be drawn against the top eight finishers. For instance, the winner of Newcastle’s tie is already slated to face either Barcelona or Chelsea in the next round.
