The UEFA Champions League league phase has reached the halfway stage for 2025/26, with four matchdays left to play.
The likes of Arsenal and Bayern Munich have put themselves in a strong position to progress to the knockouts, but no team has yet officially qualified for that next phase.
As a reminder, the top eight sides at the end of the league phase qualify automatically for the Round of 16, while those ranked 9th to 24th must contest a two-legged playoff game to determine their fate.
As was the case for each club in the league phase, which increased the burden to eight matches from six in the old round-robin format, the additional play-off round means a full extra round of knockout games.
The Sporting News lays out how this scheduling shakeup plays out on the calendar.
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When do the Champions League knockouts start?
The knockout stage proper begins with the Round of 16, the first legs of which take place over March 10-11, 2026
The knockout playoff round, which determines the final eight teams in that Round of 16, begins February 17-18 with the first legs and concludes over February 24-25.
After the Round of 16, the quarterfinals will be contested in April. This will all culminate in the final on May 30 in Budapest, Hungary.
| Round | Dates | |
| Knockout Playoff | Leg 1 | Feb. 17-18 |
| Leg 2 | Feb. 24-25 | |
| Round of 16 | Leg 1 | Mar. 10-11 |
| Leg 2 | Mar. 17-18 | |
| Quarterfinals | Leg 1 | Apr. 7-8 |
| Leg 2 | Apr. 14-15 | |
| Semifinals | Leg 1 | Apr. 28-29 |
| Leg 2 | May 5-6 | |
| Final | May 30, 2025 |
When is the Champions League knockouts draw?
The draw for the Champions League knockout-playoff round is due to take place on January 30, 2026.
The ceremony to determine the Round of 16, quarterfinal and semifinal brackets is around a month later, on February 27.
The top eight from the league phase will be seeded in the draw according to their finishing position. This means they will play the second leg of the last-16 tie at home.
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Once teams are handed their spots in the Round of 16 bracket, their route to the final will be set. There are no restrictions on teams from the same country facing one another at any stage from this point. As such, there will be no more knockout-stage draws from February 27 up to and including this season’s final in Budapest.
