Women's Champions League knockout play-offs: Meet the contenders
Wednesday, December 17, 2025
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Eight teams will face off on 11/12 and 18/19 February to join the four teams directly through to the quarter-finals.
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The new UEFA Women's Champions League knockout phase play-offs on 11/12 and 18/19 February will involve the teams that finished between fifth and 12th in the league phase competing to join the top four clubs in the quarter-finals.
We introduce the contenders ahead of the draw at 13:00 CET on Thursday, which will set the knockout phase bracket.
Which teams are in the quarter-finals and who can join them?
Through to quarter-finals
1 Barcelona
2 OL Lyonnes
3 Chelsea
4 Bayern München
Competing in knockout phase play-offs
5 Arsenal
6 Manchester United
7 Real Madrid
8 Juventus
9 Wolfsburg
10 Paris FC
11 Atlético de Madrid
12 OH Leuven
Teams listed in order of final league phase standings.
League place: 5th place
1-2 h vs OL Lyonnes
2-0 a vs Benfica
2-3 a vs Bayern München
2-1 h vs Real Madrid
1-0 h vs Twente
3-0 a vs OH Leuven
Top scorer: Alessia Russo 4
UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2024/25): 7 (were seeded first in Pot 1 for league phase draw as defending champions)
How they qualified: Titleholders, English runners-up
Last season: Winners
Domestic honours: 15 x League champions, 14 x Cup winners
Previous European best: Winners (2006/07, 2024/25)
- On their way to a second title Arsenal played a record 15 games in their campaign last season (Katie McCabe starting every one), the first team to get to the final from qualifying round 1 (equivalent of the new second qualifying round).
League phase: 6th place
1-0 h vs Vålerenga
1-0 a vs Atlético de Madrid
2-1 h vs Paris Saint-Germain
2-5 a vs Wolfsburg
0-3 h vs OL Lyonnes
1-0 a vs Juventus
Top scorer (league phase): Fridolina Rolfö 3
Top scorer (including qualifying): Elisabeth Terland 7
UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2024/25): 24
How they qualified: English third place; 4-0 n vs PSV Eindhoven, 1-0 a vs Hammarby, 3-1agg vs Brann (0-1 a, 3-0 h)
Last season: Not in competition
Domestic honours: 1 x Cup winners
Previous European best: Qualifying round 2 (2023/24)
- Elisabeth Terland hit hat-tricks against PSV and her former club Brann to finish as qualifying top scorer on seven goals and take United into the league phase/group stage for the first time.
League phase: 7th place
6-2 h vs Roma
2-1 a vs Paris Saint-Germain
1-1 h vs Paris FC
1-2 a vs Arsenal
2-0 h vs Wolfsburg
1-1 a vs Twente
Top scorer (league phase): Caroline Weir 4
Top scorer (including qualifying): Caroline Weir 4
UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2024/25): 8
How they qualified: Spanish runners-up; 5-1agg vs Eintracht Frankfurt (2-1 a, 3-0 h)
Last season: Quarter-finals
Domestic honours: Best league finish – 2nd place x 4
Previous European best: Quarter-finals (2021/22, 2024/25)
- Madrid are contesting their fifth European campaign, having got through qualifying each time.
League phase: 8th place
2-1 h vs Benfica
1-2 a vs Bayern München
2-1 a vs Atlético de Madrid
3-3 h vs OL Lyonnes
5-0 a vs St. Pölten
0-1 h vs Manchester United
Top scorers: Cristiana Girelli, Tatiana Pinto, Cecilia Salvai 2
UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2024/25): 9
How they qualified: Italian champions
Last season: Group stage
Domestic honours: 6 x League champions, 4 x Cup winners
Previous European best: Quarter-finals (2021/22)
- Won their third domestic double in eight seasons of existence in 2024/25 as well as beating Paris Saint-Germain to make the Champions League group stage for the third time.
League phase: 9th place
4-0 h vs Paris Saint-Germain
2-1 a vs Vålerenga
1-3 a vs OL Lyonnes
5-2 h vs Manchester United
0-2 a vs Real Madrid
1-2 h vs Chelsea
Top scorer: Lineth Beerensteyn 4
UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2024/25): 5
How they qualified: German runners-up
Last season: Quarter-finals
Domestic honours: 7 x League champions, 11 x Cup winners
Previous European best: Winners (2012/13, 2013/14)
- Wolfsburg have reached 12 quarter-finals from 13 previous entries.
League phase: 10th place
2-2 h vs OH Leuven
0-4 a vs Paris FC
1-1 a vs Real Madrid
2-0 h vs Benfica
1-0 a vs Vålerenga
0-2 h vs Barcelona
Top scorer (league phase): Lorena Azzaro 2
Top scorer (including qualifying): Clara Mateo 3
UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2024/25): 22
How they qualified: French third place; 2-0agg vs Austria Wien (0-0 h, 2-0 a)
Last season: Qualifying round 2
Domestic honours: 6 x League champions, 2 x Cup winners
Previous European best: Semi-finals (2012/13 as Juvisy)
- Changed from Juvisy to their present name in 2017 and qualified for the group stage in 2023/24 after in qualifying becoming the first team ever to knock out Wolfsburg before the quarter-finals.
League phase: 11th place
6-0 a vs St. Pölten
0-1 h vs Manchester United
1-2 h vs Juventus
4-0 a vs Twente
2-2 h vs Bayern München
0-4 a vs OL Lyonnes
Top scorer (league phase): Fiamma 4
Top scorer (including qualifying): Fiamma 4
UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2024/25): 27
How they qualified: Spanish third place; 3-2agg vs Häcken (1-1 a, 2-1 h aet)
Last season: Qualifying round 1 group third place
Domestic honours: 4 x League champions, 2 x Cup winners
Previous European best: Quarter-finals (2019/20)
- A Luany penalty deep in added time ensured Atleti levelled their qualifier against Häcken before winning in extra time for their group stage/league phase debut, though the Madrid club reached the round of 16 or better three times in a row between 2018/19 and 2020/21.
League phase: 12th place
2-2 a vs Paris FC
2-1 h vs Twente
0-3 a vs Barcelona
1-1 h vs Roma
0-0 a vs Paris Saint-Germain
0-3 h vs Arsenal
Top scorer (league phase): Sára Pusztai 2
Top scorer (including qualifying): Jada Conijnenberg 3
UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2024/25): no ranking
How they qualified: Belgium champions; 2-1aet h vs SFK 2000 Sarajevo, 3-2 h vs Rosengård, 2-0agg vs Vorskla Poltava (2-0 a, 0-0 h)
Last season: Not in competition
Domestic honours: 1 x League champions
Previous European best: First season in European competition.
- Having claimed their first title last season in their tenth season after promotion to the Belgian Super League, OHL were the first team from their nation reach the league phase/group stage. Now they have matched the feat of Real Madrid (2021/22) and Roma (2022/23) who got past the group stage in their debut European campaigns.
Cup winners refers only to main FA national cup in each country.
n = second qualifying round match hosted by club other than the two playing.
WOMEN'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE KNOCKOUT CALENDAR
Knockout phase play-offs
First leg: 11/12 February
Second leg: 18/19 February
Quarter-finals
First leg: 24/25 March
Second leg: 1/2 April
Semi-finals
First leg: 25/26 April
Second leg: 2/3 May
Final (Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo)
23 May