The draw for the first knockout round of the 2025/26 Europa League is approaching, as the play-off qualifiers get ready to discover their fate.
The league phase is drawing to a close, with teams competing fiercely for positions within the top eight and the middle 16.
Those eight successful teams will advance directly to the round of 16, while the remaining 16 will engage in two-legged play-off matches to determine who progresses.
Out of the 36 teams that began the league phase, 28 remain uncertain about their destiny as they head into the final round of matches before Friday’s draw.
Here’s what you need to know.
When is the Europa League knockout phase play-off draw?
The draw for the Europa League knockout phase play-offs will take place at 12pm GMT on Friday, 30 January, in Nyon, Switzerland.
This draw will feature teams that finished between ninth and 24th in the league phase, with the top eight teams automatically qualifying for the last 16.
How can I watch the Europa League draw?
The draw will be available for live streaming on UEFA’s website and the Europa League app. Additionally, Independent Sport will provide a live blog covering the results and the latest updates.
Which teams are participating in the Europa League knockout phase play-off draw?
A total of 19 teams have secured their places in either the round of 16 or the knockout phase play-offs, with their exact standings to be determined in the final round of matches on Thursday.
Teams such as Ferencvaros, Freiburg, Midtjylland, Real Betis, Bologna, Braga, Celta Vigo, Crvena Zvezda, Fenerbahce, Genk, Nottingham Forest, Panathinaikos, PAOK, Porto, Roma, Stuttgart, and Viktoria Plzen have all confirmed their positions in the knockout phase.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa and Lyon are guaranteed spots in the round of 16, expected to be joined by six other teams. Unfortunately, Rangers, Sturm Graz, Nice, Utrecht, Malmo, and Maccabi Tel Aviv have been eliminated.
How will the Europa League knockout phase play-off draw be conducted?
The clubs will be matched based on their league phase standings, creating four seeded pairs: positions 9 and 10, 11 and 12, 13 and 14, and 15 and 16. There will also be four unseeded pairs: positions 17 and 18, 19 and 20, 21 and 22, and 23 and 24.
The seeded teams will then be drawn against the unseeded pairs: teams in positions 9 or 10 will face 23 or 24, 11 or 12 against 21 or 22, 13 or 14 against 19 or 20, and 15 or 16 against 17 or 18.
Notably, clubs from the same national association or those that have already faced each other in the league phase can compete against one another in the knockout phase play-offs.
When will the knockout phase play-off matches occur?
The play-off matches will be conducted over two legs, with the seeded team hosting the return leg.
The first legs are scheduled for 19 February, followed by the second legs on 26 February.
When will the round of 16 draw take place?
The eight teams advancing from the knockout phase play-offs will join those who qualified directly in the round of 16 draw, which is set for Friday, 27 February.