Champions League draw : Latest updates as Newcastle, Real Madrid, PSG discover opponents

After a dramatic final night of league stage action that saw Newcastle United, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan and more forced to navigate the Champions League playoff round, it’s time to discover the identity of their respective opponents, and you can follow it all live with ESPN.

The top eight have automatically progressed to the round of 16, where they will be joined by the eight winners of the playoffs, which take place next month. The seeded draw means that each playoff round team can face one of two opponents.

The Premier League’s dominance of the league stage leaves Newcastle as the only English side set to discover their destiny today. Eddie Howe’s men will be drawn to face either Monaco or Qarabag.

If you are watching along, the FIFA explainer is in full flow.

It’s starting well, but so much information. Following it is a challenge.

It will be fine, though.

The main thing to remember is that we are making a draw for eight knockout play-off ties.

The draw for the play-off round in this seasons’ Champions League takes place in Switzerland today.

The teams that finished between ninth and 24th in the league phase will know their opponents for next month’s knockout round.

A win in the play-offs will see teams advance to the last 16 of the competition, where the teams which finished in the top eight of the league stage will re-enter.

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The balls are in the pots!

Right, that’s done so now we can get onto the main event.

Unseeded teams will be drawn first and they will be matched up against a seeded opposition.

Of all the draws we see in these competitions, this is one of the more straightforward ones.

Yet, here we are, still watching the technical procedure against the increasingly dramatic background of the Champions League music.

Can we get on with it please?

And here he is!

Robert Pires, perhaps most famous for the six years he spent at Arsenal, wanders out onto the stage and shakes the hands of Pinto and Marchetti.

The Frenchman will be a bit disappointed that two of his former clubs, Marseille and Villarreal, are not involved in today’s draw after they were eliminated in the league phase.

After the conclusion of the league phase, the Champions League knockout route will begin to be drawn up today. It comes after a dramatic conclusion to the league phase, with Benfica’s goalkeeper scoring a last-minute goal to ensure Real Madrid missed out on a top-8 berth for the second consecutive season.

A point away from home against Paris Saint-Germain wasn’t enough to keep Newcastle United in the automatic round-of-16 qualifying spots although. They were the only English side in the competition to miss out on a spot in the top eight, meaning Eddie Howe and co. will have to contend with an extra two matches next month.

It’s less than ideal, given the already hectic schedule, but Newcastle wouldn’t have expected much more when the competition got underneath back in September. They’ll be joined by some big hitters, as alongside Real Madrid, Inter Milan and reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain will also discover their destiny. Express Sport keeps you across all of the latest news from the Champions League draw.

The draw for the UEFA Champions League knockout stage play-offs is underway today, Friday, January 30, 2026, in Nyon, Switzerland. Real Madrid will face the winner of the Benfica versus Bodo/Glimt tie, while PSG and Newcastle United will play the winner of the Monaco versus Qarabag tie in the pre-determined bracket structure.

Play-off Opponent Structure

The knockout phase play-off draw pairs teams based on their league stage standings, with seeded teams (9th–16th) facing unseeded teams (17th–24th) from a specific pairing bracket.
Seeded Pairing Unseeded Opponent Pairing

Real Madrid (9th) / Inter Milan (10th) Bodo / Glimt (23rd) / Benfica (24th)
Paris Saint-Germain(11th) / Newcastle(12th) Monaco(21st) / Qarabag(22nd)
Juventus (13th) / Atletico Madrid (14th) Club Brugge (19th) / Galatasaray (20th)
Atalanta(15th) / Bayer Leverkusen (16th) Borussia Dortmund (17th) / Olympiacos (18th)

Key Dates

Knockout stage play-offs First Legs: February 17-18, 2026
Knockout stage play-offs Second Legs: February 24-25, 2026
Round of 16, quarter-final and semi-final draw: February 27, 2026
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Both Newcastle and PSG drew 1-1 in their last match and after that they went straight to the top 8. Was not found. This result will lead to both playing in the play-off round, where they will face teams from their group according to the universal draw. Can fight.

These three teams may face various possible opponents in the Champions League play-off draw. For example, teams like Monaco or Qarabag FK could face Newcastle or PSG, and Real Madrid or Inter Milan could face Bodo/Glimt or Benfica in penalties. Can catch teams. The fixtures drawn by this bird will be played in the play-off round in February.

This draw is especially bad for Real Madrid as they are stuck in ninth place in the league stage and cannot directly pass the round of 16. Therefore, they will have to play in the play-off round, where they will see more dangerous historical matches.

The Champions League play-off rounds will be played on 17-18 and 24-25 February, followed by the round of 16 draw on 27 February, which will determine the next journey to the knockout stage of the tournament. Will determine.

This draw information shows that the Champions League is not just the final showdown, but every match and draw is a big draw. There is a strategic battle, which makes the journey more difficult and exciting for Timo.

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