UEFA Youth League round of 32 draw

The 2025/26 UEFA Youth League round of 32 draw has set the ties to be played in principle on 3 and 4 February.

HOW THE DRAW WORKED

DRAW PROCEDURE

Based on Article 19 of the UEFA Youth League Regulations, the following draw procedure has been adopted by the Club Competitions Committee. Furthermore, the following paragraphs of the UYL Regulations are applicable to the draw.

Match system

20.01 “Phase two of the competition is played in single-leg knockout matches in accordance with Article 21.”

Draw system and conditions

19.01 “In the knockout phase, the 22 teams that qualify at the end of the UEFA Champions League path league phase are joined by the 10 winners of the third round of the domestic champions path, as illustrated in Annex B.”

19.02 “The fixtures for the round of 32 are determined by means of a draw, conducted in accordance with the following principles:

a) The clubs finishing the league phase of the UEFA Champions League path in positions 1 to 6 are seeded and will be drawn against the clubs finishing the league phase of the UEFA Champions League path in positions 17 to 22.

b) The winners of the third qualifying round of the domestic champions path are seeded and will be drawn against the clubs finishing the league phase of the UEFA Champions League path in positions 7 to 16.

c) In principle, clubs from the same association cannot be drawn against each other.

d) In principle, the seeded clubs play the round of 32 matches at home.”

Draw procedure

Each team from position 1 to 6 at the end of the Champions League path league phase was directly allocated as a home team to one of the first six round of 32 matches in accordance with their ranking (these teams were not drawn and were seeded for the draw, playing the match at home). Therefore, the team which finished first was allocated as the home team of match 1, the team which finished second was allocated as the home team of match 2 and so on.

Each team from the position 7 to 16 at the end of the Champions League path league phase was directly allocated as an away team to one of the ten remaining round of 32 matches in accordance with their ranking (these teams were not drawn and were unseeded for the draw, playing this match away). This means that the team which finished seventh was allocated as the away team of match 7, the team which finished eight was allocated as the away team of match 8 and so on.

Two bowls were prepared for the draw, each one with a set of balls containing the names of the following groups of teams:

• Bowl 1: the teams in position 17–22 of the Champions League path league phase

• Bowl 2: the 10 teams qualified from the domestic champions path

Match 1 to 6 
The six balls in bowl 1 were shuffled and one ball drawn and opened to reveal the team. This team was positioned as the away team for match 1 of the round of 32, completing this tie with the first placed team of the UEFA Champions League path league phase.

The process was then repeated with the remaining balls in the bowl to draw the away teams of matches 2 to 6 of the round of 32, completing these matches.

Match 7 to 16
The ten balls in bowl 2 were shuffled and one ball was drawn and opened to reveal the team. This team was positioned as the home team for match 7 of the round of 32, completing this match with the seventh placed team of the UEFA Champions League path league phase.

The process was then repeated with the remaining balls in the bowl to draw all the home teams of matches 8 to 16 of the round of 32, completing these matches.

Additional information
Teams from the same association could not be drawn against each other.

Therefore, in the event that a team would be drawn against a team from the same national association, the team drawn would be immediately moved to the corresponding position in the next available match. In its place, another ball would be drawn from the bowl to complete the initial match.

Participants

UCL path: Position 1 to 6
Chelsea FC (ENG)
SL Benfica (POR)
Club Brugge KV (BEL)
Real Madrid C.F. (ESP)
Villarreal CF (ESP)
Athletic Club (ESP)

UCL path: Position 17 to 22
Bayer 04 Leverkusen (GER)
AS Monaco (FRA)
PSV Eindhoven (NED)
SK Slavia Praha (CZE)
Eintracht Frankfurt (GER)
Olympique de Marseille (FRA)

Domestic champions path
AZ Alkmaar (NED)
Real Betis Balompié (ESP)
FC Dinamo-Minsk (BLR)
FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR)
HJK Helsinki (FIN)
1. FC Köln (GER)
Legia Warszawa (POL)
Maccabi Haifa FC (ISR)
Puskás Akadémia FC (HUN)
MŠK Žilina (SVK)

UCL path: Position 7 to 16
Atlético de Madrid (ESP)
FC Barcelona (ESP)
Tottenham Hotspur (ENG)
Manchester City (ENG)
Borussia Dortmund (GER)
Sporting Clube de Portugal (POR)
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
FC Internazionale Milano (ITA)
AFC Ajax (NED)
Liverpool FC (ENG)

Draw explanation

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

Calendar elaboration

22.04 “For phase two of the competition, the round of 32 matches, round of 16 matches and quarter-finals are played in the matchweeks indicated in Annex C. If there is no common agreement on the date of a specific match, the match is played on the Wednesday (subject to Paragraph 22.08).”

22.06 “The match dates for the round of 32 […] must be announced to opponents and the UEFA administration by the deadline communicated in due course by the UEFA administration. Upon reasoned request, changes may be made after these deadlines if both clubs concerned and the UEFA administration agree.”

22.07 “If both clubs and the UEFA administration agree, the round of 32 [...] may also be played on other dates, provided they are completed before the following dates:

a) round of 32: 5 February 2026”

22.08 “UEFA decides on the date of the semi-finals and final, as well as on the date of matches that are televised (after consultation with the two teams) or on any other match date, if circumstances so require.”

23.06 “Kick-off times must be announced using the dedicated online tool by the deadline set by the UEFA administration.”

23.07 “The home club decides the kick-off times of non-televised matches, in consultation with the visiting club. UEFA reserves the right to decide on the kick-off times of televised matches after consulting with both clubs involved.”