2026/27 UEFA Champions League Playoff Draw and Match Schedule

The qualification phase for the next season's UEFA Champions League has reached its final stage. Fourteen teams will compete in the playoff round to secure their spot in the 2026/27 group stage. The last few participants will be decided through the third qualifying round matches held earlier in August.

These playoffs are two-legged ties scheduled for August, with the group stage draw set for August 27.

Details of the Playoff Draw

The draw took place on August 3 at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. Among the fourteen teams, ten enter via the champions path and four via the league path. The champions path consists of clubs that won their domestic leagues, while the league path features teams that qualified based on their league position in countries with multiple Champions League slots.

Out of the fourteen playoff participants, ten are still undecided as they depend on third-round qualifying results from the weeks starting August 3 and August 10.

Matchups for the Champions League Playoffs 2026/27

• 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)

Playoff Schedule

• First legs: August 18 and 19
• Second legs: August 25 and 26
• Group stage draw: August 27, starting at 12 p.m. CET (6 a.m. ET) in Monaco

The kickoff times for the playoff matches will be confirmed by UEFA soon.

Europa League Dropouts

Teams eliminated during these playoffs automatically qualify for the Europa League group stage. This is the final chance for those knocked out to continue European competition this season. After the Champions League group stage starts, no further teams dropping out from later rounds will join the Europa League.