Champions League Playoff Draw and Schedule for 2026/27 Qualification
The final stage of qualifying for the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League is set. Fourteen teams will compete in the playoff round to secure a spot in the tournament's league phase. This last phase follows the third qualifying round, which decides ten of these participants.
The two-legged playoff matches are scheduled for August, with the league phase draw taking place on August 27.
Playoff Draw Details
The draw happened on August 3 at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. Ten clubs come through the champions path, while four qualify via the league path. The champions path features teams who won their domestic leagues, and the league path includes clubs that earned their places based on league rankings from countries with multiple Champions League entries.
Ten playoff teams remain unknown as they are yet to be decided in the third qualifying round matches during the weeks of August 3 and August 10.
Matchups in the 2026/27 Champions League Playoffs
- Levski Sofia (BUL) or Kairat Almaty (KAZ) vs. AEK Athens (GRE)
- Celtic (SCO) vs. LASK (AUT)
- GNK Dinamo (CRO) or Zalgiris (LIT) vs. Viking (NOR)
- Mjallby (SWE) or Slovan Bratislava (SVK) vs. Ararat-Armenia (ARM) or Celje (SVN)
- Hapoel Be'er-Sheva (ISR) or Red Star Belgrade (SRB) vs. Aarhus (DEN) or Sabah (AZE)
- Fenerbahce (TUR) or Sturm Graz (AUT) vs. Sparta Prague (CZE) or Lyon (FRA)
- Olympiacos (GRE) or NEC (NED) vs. Union SG (BEL) or Bodo/Glimt (NOR)
Schedule for Playoff Matches
- First leg: August 18 and 19
- Second leg: August 25 and 26
The second legs conclude just before the league phase draw, which occurs on August 27 in Monaco starting at noon CET (6 a.m. ET).
Europa League Entry for Eliminated Teams
Teams losing in this playoff round will automatically move into the Europa League group stage. This will be the last chance for clubs knocked out here to enter the Europa League. Once the Champions League group stage starts, teams eliminated later won’t drop into the Europa League.
