UEFA Conference League Round of 16 Draw

The 2025/26 season of the UEFA Conference League advanced to the round of 16 through a draw system based on the rankings determined after the league phase. The positions achieved in the league phase determined whether teams qualified directly for the round of 16 or entered the two-legged play-off round. This structure established clear rules for the transition into the knockout phase.

Location and Time of the Draw

The draw for the UEFA Conference League round of 16 play-off round took place at 15:00 Turkish time at UEFA Headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. The draw was organized as the official start of the knockout stages, immediately following the completion of the league phase.

Position of the Round of 16 Play-Off Round Within the Tournament Structure

Teams that finished in the top eight positions of the league phase advanced directly to the round of 16 without any additional knockout matches. Teams that placed between ninth and 24th in the league phase were directed to the play-off round to compete for a place in the round of 16. This round consisted of two-legged ties, with the winners advancing to the round of 16.

Teams Participating in the Draw

Teams Directly Qualifying for the Round of 16

The teams that finished in the top eight of the league phase—AEK Athens, AEK Larnaca, Mainz, Raków Częstochowa, Rayo Vallecano, Shakhtar Donetsk, Sparta Praha and Strasbourg—earned direct entry to the round of 16. These teams entered the knockout phase without participating in the play-off round.

Teams Competing in the Round of 16 Play-Off Round

The teams that finished between ninth and 24th in the league phase competed in the round of 16 play-off round. These teams included Samsunspor, AZ Alkmaar, Crystal Palace, Fiorentina, Lausanne-Sport, Celje, Lech Poznań, Rijeka, Jagiellonia, Omonoia, Noah, Zrinjski, Drita, KuPS Kuopio, Shkëndija and Sigma Olomouc. These teams were paired in two-legged matches to determine which eight would advance to the round of 16.

Seeding System and Draw Mechanism

Seeded and Unseeded Teams

Teams that finished between ninth and 16th in the league phase were seeded in the draw. This group included Samsunspor, AZ Alkmaar, Crystal Palace, Fiorentina, Lausanne-Sport, Celje, Lech Poznań and Rijeka. Teams that finished between 17th and 24th formed the unseeded group: Jagiellonia, Omonoia, Noah, Zrinjski, Drita, KuPS Kuopio, Shkëndija and Sigma Olomouc.

Ranking-Based Pairing Principle

The draw system operated on pairings based on league phase rankings. Teams ranked ninth and 10th formed one group, 11th and 12th another, 13th and 14th another, and 15th and 16th another. Similarly, unseeded teams were grouped as 17–18, 19–20, 21–22 and 23–24. Each seeded group was matched against a specific unseeded group in the draw.

In this pairing structure, teams finishing ninth or 10th were drawn against teams finishing 23rd or 24th; teams finishing 11th or 12th faced teams finishing 21st or 22nd; teams finishing 13th or 14th played teams finishing 19th or 20th; and teams finishing 15th or 16th were matched against teams finishing 17th or 18th.

Round of 16 matchups (generated by artificial intelligence)

Draw Results and Match Pairings

As a result of the draw, the following pairings were set for the round of 16 play-off round: KuPS Kuopio–Lech Poznań, Noah–AZ Alkmaar, Zrinjski–Crystal Palace, Jagiellonia–Fiorentina, Shkëndija–Samsunspor, Drita–Celje, Sigma Olomouc–Lausanne-Sport and Omonoia–Rijeka. These pairings covered all matches in the play-off round.

Samsunspor, based on its league phase ranking, was eligible to face either KuPS Kuopio or Shkëndija and was drawn against Shkëndija.

Match Schedule and Organization

Play-Off Round Match Dates

The round of 16 play-off round matches are scheduled as two-legged ties. The first legs will be played on 19 February 2026, and the return legs on 26 February 2026.

Fixture and Implementation Principles

The exact dates and kick-off times for the matches were determined based on organizational conditions, with conflicts involving stadiums or host cities resolved through necessary adjustments. All fixture details for the play-off round will be finalized by the end of January.

Schedule for Subsequent Knockout Rounds

The quarter-final matches are scheduled for 9 and 16 April 2026, the semi-final matches for 30 April and 7 May 2026, and the tournament final will take place on 27 May 2026.

Impact of League Phase Rankings on the Draw

The round of 16 play-off round draw system directly relied on the league phase rankings. The fact that Crystal Palace and Zrinjski, Samsunspor and Shkëndija, AZ Alkmaar and Noah, Fiorentina and Jagiellonia, and Rijeka and Omonoia were paired together is a natural consequence of this ranking-based structure. This system ensured that the positions achieved in the league phase directly determined the matchups in the knockout phase.