UEFA Champions League play-off round draw

The 2025/26 UEFA Champions League play-off round draw took place at 12:00 CET on Monday 4 August at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland. The two-legged ties will take place on 19/20 and 26/27 August.

2025/26 UEFA Champions League play-off round draw

Champions path

PFC Ludogorets 1945/Ferencvárosi TC vs KF Shkëndija /Qarabağ FK
KKS Lech Poznań/FK Crvena Zvezda vs FC Dynamo Kyiv/Pafos FC
FK Bodø/Glimt vs SK Sturm Graz
Celtic FC vs FC Kairat Almaty/ŠK Slovan Bratislava
FC Basel 1893 vs Malmö FF/F.C. Copenhagen

League path

Feyenoord/Fenerbahçe SK vs OGC Nice/SL Benfica
Rangers FC/FC Viktoria Plzeň vs FC Salzburg/Club Brugge KV

Seeded teams in bold.

Draw procedure

CHAMPIONS PATH
Number of teams involved: 10 (4 directly and 6 pairings coming from the third qualifying round)
Number of seeded teams: 5
Number of matches: 2 x 5

LEAGUE PATH
Number of teams involved: 4 pairings coming from the third qualifying round
Number of seeded teams: 2
Number of matches: 2 x 2

Based on Article 14 of the UEFA Champions League Regulations (UCL Regulations), the following draw procedure was adopted by the UEFA Club Competitions Committee. Furthermore, the following paragraphs of the UCL Regulations were applicable to the draw.

Match system

15.01: The qualifying phase and play-offs follow the knockout system, whereby each team plays each opponent twice, in home and away matches. The team that scores the greater aggregate of goals in the two matches qualifies for the relevant round or stage (as applicable). In the event that the two teams score the same number of goals across the two matches, Article 21 applies.

Draw system and conditions

14.01: A draw between the same number of seeded and unseeded clubs determines the ties for the qualifying phase and play-offs. Clubs are seeded for these draws in accordance with the club coefficient rankings established at the beginning of the season (see Annex D) and with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee. If, for any reason, any of the participants in the rounds in question are not known at the time of the draw, the coefficient of the club with the higher coefficient of the two clubs involved in an undecided tie is used for the purposes of the draw.

14.02: The UEFA administration may form groups for the draw in accordance with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee.

14.03: A draw is conducted to determine the ties of each match and which team plays the first leg match at home.

Draw system (Champions Path)

The ten teams were divided equally into five seeded and five unseeded teams and/or pairings. For the purposes of this draw, the six pairings coming from the third qualifying round ties were indicated as Winners of Pairing 1 to 6.

As the teams qualifying from the previous qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League were not known at the time of the draw, the coefficient of the team with the higher coefficient of the two teams involved in each undecided tie was used for the seeding for the purposes of the draw. Therefore, if a team in a tie of the previous qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League had a coefficient that would entitle it to be seeded for the current draw, that pairing was seeded for this draw.

Groupings (Champions Path)

Seeded
FK Bodø/Glimt (NOR)
Winners of Pairing 1: Malmö FF (SWE) vs F.C. Copenhagen (DEN)
Winners of Pairing 2: KKS Lech Poznań (POL) vs FK Crvena Zvezda (SRB)
Winners of Pairing 3: PFC Ludogorets 1945 (BUL) vs Ferencvárosi TC (HUN)
Celtic FC (SCO)

Unseeded
Winners of Pairing 4: FC Kairat Almaty (KAZ) vs ŠK Slovan Bratislava (SVK)
FC Basel 1893 (SUI)
Winners of Pairing 5: KF Shkëndija (MKD) vs Qarabağ FK (AZE)
Winners of Pairing 6: FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) vs Pafos FC (CYP)
SK Sturm Graz (AUT)

Draw Procedure (Champions Path)

Three bowls were prepared for the draw, with the balls containing the names of the seeded and unseeded teams and/or pairings placed in the corresponding marked bowls.

One ball was then taken from each of these bowls and placed in the third empty central bowl, where they were shuffled. One ball was taken from the central bowl and was opened to display the team. This team was considered the home team for the first leg of the first tie, which they will play against the second team drawn from this bowl.

The process was then repeated with the remaining balls to complete all the ties.

Draw system (League Path)

The four winners of the third qualifying round ties, indicated for the purpose of this draw as Winners of Pairing 1 to 4, were divided equally into two seeded and two unseeded pairings.

As the teams qualifying from the previous qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League were not known at the time of the draw, the coefficient of the team with the higher coefficient of the two teams involved in each undecided tie was used for the seeding for the purposes of the draw. Therefore, if a team in a tie of the previous qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League had a coefficient that would entitle it to be seeded for the current draw, that pairing was seeded for this draw.

Groupings (League Path)

Seeded
Winners of Pairing 1: OGC Nice (FRA) vs SL Benfica (POR)
Winners of Pairing 2: FC Salzburg (AUT) vs Club Brugge KV (BEL)

Unseeded
Winners of Pairing 3: Rangers FC (SCO) vs FC Viktoria Plzeň (CZE)
Winners of Pairing 4: Feyenoord (NED) vs Fenerbahçe SK (TUR)

Draw Procedure (League Path)

Three bowls were prepared for the draw, with the balls containing the names of the seeded and unseeded pairings placed in the corresponding marked bowls.

One ball was then taken from each of these bowls and placed in the third empty central bowl, where they were shuffled. The first pairing then drawn from this bowl was considered the home team for the first leg of the first tie, which they will play against the second team drawn.

The process was then repeated with the remaining balls to complete all the ties.

Draw explanation

A video explaining the draw procedure was shown prior to the draw.

Calendar elaboration

The following paragraphs of the UCL Regulations are applicable to the match calendar.

23.01: All matches are played in accordance with the UEFA Match Calendar (see Annex C). These dates are final and binding on all concerned, subject to the provisions of Paragraph 24.01 to Paragraph

24.02: The following principles apply to this competition:

a) Matches are played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with the exception of the first matchday of the league phase, where matches are played across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and the final, which is played on a Saturday. Exceptions to this rule can be made by the UEFA administration.

b) From the play-offs onwards, the UEFA administration decides the match schedule of each round.

25.01: The kick-off times from the play-offs onwards are established by the UEFA administration.

25.02: The play-offs and league phase matches all kick off in principle at 21:00 CET. Exceptions to this rule can be made by the UEFA administration.

The play-offs calendar will be communicated in writing to the clubs and their respective associations on the day of the draw.