2025–26 UEFA Europa League knockout phase

The 2025–26 UEFA Europa League knockout phase will begin on 19 February with the knockout phase play-offs and end on 20 May 2026 with the final at the Beşiktaş Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, to decide the champions of the 2025–26 UEFA Europa League.^[1] A total of 24 teams will compete in the knockout phase, with 16 entering in the play-offs and 8 receiving a bye to the round of 16.^[2]

Times are CET/CEST,^{[note 1]} as listed by UEFA (local times, if different, are in parentheses).

The knockout phase involved the top 24 teams that qualified from the league phase. The top 8 teams received a bye to the round of 16, while teams finishing in positions 9 to 24 entered the knockout phase play-offs.

• Lyon
• Midtjylland
• Aston Villa
• Real Betis
• SC Freiburg
• Ferencváros

Each tie in the knockout phase, apart from the final, will be played over two legs, with each team playing one leg at home. The team that scored more goals on aggregate over the two legs advanced to the next round. If the aggregate score was level, then 30 minutes of extra time was played (the away goals rule was not applied). If the score was still level at the end of extra time, the winners were decided by a penalty shoot-out. In the final, which was played as a single match, if the score was level at the end of normal time, extra time would be played, followed by a penalty shoot-out if the score was still level.^[2]

In the knockout phase, there was no country protection, with teams from the same association able to face each other in any round. Teams could also face opponents they played during the league phase.

The mechanism of the draws for each round was as follows:^[2]

• In the draw for the knockout phase play-offs, the eight teams finishing the league phase in positions 9–16 were seeded, and the eight teams finishing the league phase in positions 17–24 were unseeded. The draw was split into four sections based on the predetermined bracket, with the seeded teams in each section drawn against one of their two possible unseeded opponents. The seeded teams hosted the second leg.
• In the draw for the round of 16, the eight teams finishing the league phase in positions 1–8 were seeded, and the eight winners of the knockout phase play-offs were unseeded. Again, the draw was split into four sections based on the predetermined bracket, with the seeded teams in each section drawn against one of their two possible unseeded opponents. The seeded teams hosted the second leg.
• Teams finishing first to fourth at the end of the league phase will play the second leg of the quarter-final stages at home. Furthermore, for the semi-final, teams ranked one and two will also play the second leg at home if they progress to that stage. If a seeded team is beaten in either round, the team that eliminates them takes over their seeding position.

The schedule of the competition is as follows.^[3] Matches are scheduled for Thursdays, apart from the final, which takes place on a Wednesday, though exceptionally can take place on Tuesdays or Wednesdays due to scheduling conflicts.^[4][5][6]

The draw for the knockout phase play-offs will be held on 30 January 2026, 13:00 CET.

The draw was split into four seeded and four unseeded pots, based on the predetermined pairings for the knockout phase. Teams were allocated based on their final position in the league phase. Teams in positions 9 to 16 were seeded (playing the second legs at home), while teams in positions 17 to 24 were unseeded. The draw began with the unseeded teams, allocating them all to a tie. Once completed, all the seeded teams were drawn into a tie as their opponents.

The first legs will be played on 19 February, and the second legs on 26 February 2026.

The draw for the round of 16 will be held on 27 February 2026, 13:00 CET.

As the bracket was fixed, the draw contained only four seeded pots, based on the predetermined pairings for the knockout phase, with the top-eight teams allocated based on their final position in the league phase. Teams in positions 1 to 8 were seeded (playing the second legs at home), while the bracket positions of the winners of the knockout phase play-offs (unseeded) were predetermined. The top-eight teams were drawn into the bracket against one of their two possible opponents.

The first legs will be played on 12 March, and the second legs on 19 March 2026.

Teams finishing first to fourth at the end of the league phase will play the second leg of the quarter-final stages at home. If a seeded team is beaten, the team that eliminates them takes over their seeding position.

The first legs will be played on 9 April, and the second legs on 16 April 2026.

Teams seeded one and two will play the second leg at home if they progress to this stage. If a seeded team is beaten, the team that eliminates them takes over their seeding position.

The first legs will be played on 30 April, and the second legs on 7 May 2026.

The final will be on 20 May 2026 at the Beşiktaş Stadium in Istanbul. The winner of semi-final 1 will be designated as the "home" team for administrative purposes.

• Official website