Champions League 2026 Play-off Draw: All Fixtures, Match Dates and Inter’s Tough Away Trip

Today, January 30, in Nyon, Switzerland, the pairings for the play-off round of Europe’s main club competition were determined. This stage is part of the tournament’s new format: the top eight teams from the league phase advanced directly to the Round of 16, while the clubs that finished from 9th to 24th place will compete for eight additional spots in the next round.

The draw produced the following match-ups:

• Borussia Dortmund — Atalanta
• Olympiacos — Bayer Leverkusen
• Galatasaray — Juventus
• Club Brugge — Atlético Madrid
• Monaco — PSG
• Qarabag — Newcastle
• Benfica — Real Madrid
• Bodø/Glimt — Inter

Special attention goes to the tie involving Inter Milan, where former Armenia national team captain Henrikh Mkhitaryan plays. The Nerazzurri begin their play-off campaign with an extremely difficult away trip to Norway to face Bodø/Glimt — a team that in recent years has regularly troubled European giants on its artificial pitch and in challenging weather conditions.

If Inter manage to overcome the Norwegian side over two legs, they will face another top-level test in the Round of 16 — against either Liverpool or Tottenham.

The play-off ties will be played over two legs. The first matches are scheduled for February 17 and 18, with the return legs on February 24 and 25, 2026. According to the regulations, each team will play one match on Tuesday and one on Wednesday, while seeded clubs generally host the second leg at home.