The UEFA Champions League Knockout Phase Play-Off Draw: Everything You Need to Know
Discover everything about the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off draw, including the date, time, format, teams involved, rules, and match schedules. Stay updated with this exciting new stage of European football's elite competition!

From that date on, up to today, the UEFA Champions League is the highest tournament of European clubs. In a twist of interesting events, when the 2024/25 season came along, a new path began: playoffs before the knockout phases. This is a completely new format, with even more drama, more competitions, and a possibility of more clubs on their way to the prestige stage of Round 16. In this paper, facts one needs to take into consideration deal with the draw of knockout-stage playoffs: when and where this draw took place, how and who participated, and what is expected on the whole from the new format in general.
Read also: Tickets for Champions League Final: How to Secure Your Spot, Cheap Options, and Key Tips
When is the Draw? Where?
The draw for the play-offs of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League knockout phase takes place on Friday 31 January 2025, 12:00 CET (14:00 local time). It also takes place at Nyon's legendary House of European Football in Switzerland, a theatre to many decisive UEFA moments.
This will also be streamed live by UEFA on its official website, UEFA.com, since it is held in great esteem by fans worldwide.
Knockout Phase Play-Off Format
For the first time in history, starting from the 2024/25 season, a new knockout format puts teams into an extra layer of competition prior to the Round of 16. How does that sound?
While, the top eight from the League Phase will get direct qualification to the Round of 16 phase, clubs ranked from 9 to 24 have been knocked out by playoffs into the knockout round entrances. Matches involving those teams who made it through these playoffs in this round, were double-leggers comprising both away and home roundings as well. Winners get into the Round of Sixteen in full sets consisting eight at the first spot.
The Play-offs shall be organized in a bracket format: teams ranked between 9th and 16th position in the League shall be seeded, and these teams shall play a team ranked from 17th to 24th position unseeded. These teams shall have the priority, in principle, to have a home team status for eventual return matches.
The game, in this format, was very competitive, and with every single match hot, hence the clubs did see a threat to their chance of going on and continuing this ambition of capturing Europe's most coveted trophy.
Which teams will participate? The knockout phase play-off draw will comprise teams ranked from 9th to 24th at the end of the league phase. Finishing in the league phase might have their say, but playoffs provide that equal platform for every side to make amends and find their place in the final 16.
This is also the stage where so-called underdog teams get to upset better-established giants since there is a dominance of Europe's elite clubs often in the league phase. The playoffs are, most definitely, a real test of character and resilience along with tactical acumen.
How Does the Draw Work?
The draw itself is an elaborative process that shores up fairness and thrill. Here is how this is done:
Preparation of Bowls:
Pre-drawing into eight bowls of the seeded and unseeded teams: The Team names will be drawn in pairs according to their ranking in the League Phase. Drawing of Lots for the Unseeded Teams:
Lots shall be drawn on behalf of the unseeded teams ranked 17th to 24th first.
For every pair of teams, say 23rd and 24th placed teams drawing of lots can be conducted where the first drawn team takes a position on the side of the silver bracket and the other qualified onto the blue side of the bracket.
Drawing of Lots for the Seeded Teams:
A similar process now draws the Seeded teams from the 15th and 16th-placed teams right down to the 9th and 10th-placed teams.
These are then pitted against the unseeded sides to complete the draw for the knockout phase play-offs.
In theory, the seeded teams are supposed to be playing the return leg at home, something that in some way gives them an edge in the tie.
Can Teams From the Same Country Face Each Other?
Unlike in some earlier rounds of the Champions League, teams from the same national association can be included in the knockout-phase play-offs and be drawn against teams they have just played in the league phase.
This may perhaps unlock the door for a few delectable-looking domestic rivalries onto the European stage and give it another layer of drama and intensity.
When Will the Matches Be Played?
But it has been made known the play-offs of the knockout phase are to be as stated below:
- First Legs: 11/12 February 2025
- Second Legs: 18/19 February 2025
In principle, every team shall play one leg on a Tuesday and the other on Wednesday not to cause a conflict in the matches. The match calendar and kick-off times shall be drawn by UEFA tonight.
Should there be conflicts with more than two matches either in the same city or in the same stadium, then any fixture congestion shall be solved by the UEFA Club Competitions Committee.
Which Stage is Re-occupied in the Next Season?
Winners of knockout phase play-offs enter at the Round of 16, where top-placed teams in the league phase standings across the eight sections start their competition at that stage. After that, it would be a straight knock-out Champions League proper, with those respective ties playing over two legs from successive rounds as follows:
- Round of 16: 4/5 & 11/12 March 2025
- Quarter-Finals: 8/9 & 15/16 April 2025
- Semi-Finals: 29/30 April & 6/7 May 2025
- Final: 31st May 2025, at Allianz Arena, Munich
The round of play-offs of a knockout phase to the final stage is quite a busy test for the endurance, strategy, and skill of an athlete.
Why This Format is Important?
This playoff of a knockout phase is quite a big introduction and change for UEFA Champions League. The format:
Gives More Chances:
With involvement as low as 24th positioned teams, it makes sure more clubs can have a chance of going through, which keeps the competition alive longer for a bigger pool of teams.
Gives Rise to Competition:
The two-legged ties demand consistent performances by teams, since there is little room for error.
Improves Spectator Interest:
Though playoffs take away that leap from the league phase to the Round of 16, they give that added bonus for the fans of at least a round of high-stake football.
Promotes Innovation in Tactics:
Managers have to strategize by weighing options between attack and defense for 180 minutes.
What to Expect From This Much-Awaited Draw?
Following are more reasons other than being formal: This is huge, given that this is very important to all fans, players, and clubs featuring in the playoffs towards the knockout phases of the UEFA Champions League, as the draw chalks out the routes whereby every team eyes continental glory. The draw also holds in-store clashes which could very well be unforgettable.
For the rest of the world, though, the draw is all rumor and speculation-who will play whom? Will it be a Davids vs. Goliaths match-up, or will it create early matches between the traditional powers?
Munich Preview
But for all those who made it into the knockout phase playoffs, there is still one dream: to lift the trophy on May 31, 2025, in Munich's Allianz Arena. That final will be quite some challenge, but that is what is called the Champions League.
On 31 January, that is where world football will once again focus their attention, because one thing for sure is a scene set in yet another chapter of UEFA Champions League history.