2025–26 UEFA Europa League knockout phase
Europe premier club football tournament
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The 2025–26 UEFA Europa League knockout phase began on 19 February with the knockout phase play-offs and ended 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 competed 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).
Qualified teams
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.
| Pos | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 |  Lyon |
| 2 |  Aston Villa |
| 3 |  Midtjylland |
| 4 |  Real Betis |
| 5 |  Porto |
| 6 | Braga |
| 7 |  SC Freiburg |
| 8 |  Roma |
| Pos | Team |
|---|---|
| 9 |  Genk |
| 10 | Bologna |
| 11 | VfB Stuttgart |
| 12 |  Ferencváros |
| 13 | Nottingham Forest |
| 14 |  Viktoria Plzeň |
| 15 |  Red Star Belgrade |
| 16 | Celta Vigo |
| Pos | Team |
|---|---|
| 17 |  PAOK |
| 18 | Lille |
| 19 |  Fenerbahçe |
| 20 | Panathinaikos |
| 21 |  Celtic |
| 22 |  Ludogorets Razgrad |
| 23 |  Dinamo Zagreb |
| 24 |  Brann |
Format
Each tie in the knockout phase, apart from the final, was 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 was played, followed by a penalty shoot-out if the score was still level.[2]
Draw procedure
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.
In the quarter-finals and semi-finals, both the exact match pairings and order of legs were predetermined based on the tournament bracket. The teams with the better league phase ranking played the second leg of each round at home if they continued advancing. Should a seeded team have been beaten, the team that eliminated them took over their seeding position. The winner of semi-final 1 was designated as the "home" team for the final (for administrative purposes, as it was played at a neutral venue).
In the knockout phase, teams from the same or nearby cities were not scheduled to play at home on the same day or on consecutive days, due to logistics and crowd control.[2]: Art. 24.02 To avoid such scheduling conflict, if the two teams were drawn to play at home for the same leg, the home match of the team that had the lower league phase ranking (if in the same competition) or the team playing in lower tier competition (Conference League) was moved from Thursday from a regularly scheduled time to an earlier time slot, to a different day, and/or at an alternative venue without clashing any other competition. However, a fixture reversal only applied if a team qualified to play the second leg at home decided to inform the UEFA administration before the draw to reverse the tie and play the first leg at home and not a second leg at an alternative venue.[3]
Predetermined pairings
The bracket structure for the knockout phase was partially fixed in advance using seeding, with a symmetrical pattern on both sides.[2] Teams' positions in the bracket were determined by their final standings in the league phase, ensuring that higher-ranked teams faced lower-ranked opponents in earlier rounds. As a result, certain sets of teams, such as the top two from the league phase, could not meet until the final.
The structure of each side of the bracket can be summarised as follows, with the exact pairings of the play-offs and round of 16 determined by a draw:[note 2]
- Knockout phase play-offs
- Pairing I: 9/10 vs 23/24
- Pairing II: 11/12 vs 21/22
- Pairing III: 13/14 vs 19/20
- Pairing IV: 15/16 vs 17/18
- Round of 16
- Pairing A: 1/2 vs Winner IV
- Pairing B: 3/4 vs Winner III
- Pairing C: 5/6 vs Winner II
- Pairing D: 7/8 vs Winner I
- Quarter-finals
- Pairing 1: Winner A vs Winner D
- Pairing 2: Winner B vs Winner C
- Semi-finals: Winner 1 vs Winner 2
Schedule
The schedule was as follows (all draws were held at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland).[1]
| Round | Draw date | First leg | Second leg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knockout phase play-offs | 30 January 2026 | 19 February 2026 | 26 February 2026 |
| Round of 16 | 27 February 2026 | 12 March 2026 | 19 March 2026 |
| Quarter-finals | N/a | 9 April 2026 | 16 April 2026 |
| Semi-finals | 30 April 2026 | 7 May 2026 | |
| Final | 20 May 2026 at Beşiktaş Stadium, Istanbul | ||
Bracket
| Knockout phase play-offs | Round of 16 | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 22 | Ludogorets Razgrad | 2 | 0 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | Ferencváros | 1 | 2 | 3 | 12 | Ferencváros | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Braga | 0 | 4 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Braga | 1 | 4 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20 | Panathinaikos (p) | 2 | 1 | 3 (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Real Betis | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | Viktoria Plzeň | 2 | 1 | 3 (3) | 20 | Panathinaikos | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Real Betis | 0 | 4 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Braga | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 23 | Dinamo Zagreb | 1 | 3 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | SC Freiburg | 1 | 3 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | Genk (a.e.t.) | 3 | 3 | 6 | 9 | Genk | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | SC Freiburg | 0 | 5 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | SC Freiburg | 3 | 3 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 17 | PAOK | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | Celta Vigo | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | Celta Vigo | 2 | 1 | 3 | 16 | Celta Vigo | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20 May – Istanbul | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Lyon | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | SC Freiburg | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 21 | Celtic | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Aston Villa | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | VfB Stuttgart | 4 | 0 | 4 | 11 | VfB Stuttgart | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Porto | 2 | 2 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Porto | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19 | Fenerbahçe | 0 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | Nottingham Forest | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | Nottingham Forest | 3 | 1 | 4 | 13 | Nottingham Forest (p) | 0 | 2 | 2 (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Midtjylland | 1 | 1 | 2 (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | Nottingham Forest | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 24 | Brann | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Aston Villa | 0 | 4 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | Bologna | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | Bologna (a.e.t.) | 1 | 4 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Roma | 1 | 3 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | Bologna | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18 | Lille (a.e.t.) | 0 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Aston Villa | 3 | 4 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | Red Star Belgrade | 1 | 0 | 1 | 18 | Lille | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Aston Villa | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Knockout phase play-offs
The draw for the knockout phase play-offs was held on 30 January 2026, 13:00 CET.[4]
Seeding
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.[5]
| 9/10 vs 23/24 | 11/12 vs 21/22 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Seeded | Unseeded | Seeded | Unseeded |
| 13/14 vs 19/20 | 15/16 vs 17/18 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Seeded | Unseeded | Seeded | Unseeded |
Summary
The first legs were played on 19 February, and the second legs were played on 26 February 2026.[6]
| Team 1 | Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ludogorets Razgrad | 2–3 | Ferencváros | 2–1 | 0–2 |
| Panathinaikos | 3–3 (4–3 p) | Viktoria Plzeň | 2–2 | 1–1 (a.e.t.) |
| Dinamo Zagreb | 4–6 | Genk | 1–3 | 3–3 (a.e.t.) |
| PAOK | 1–3 | Celta Vigo | 1–2 | 0–1 |
| Celtic | 2–4 | VfB Stuttgart | 1–4 | 1–0 |
| Fenerbahçe | 2–4 | Nottingham Forest | 0–3 | 2–1 |
| Brann | 0–2 | Bologna | 0–1 | 0–1 |
| Lille | 2–1 | Red Star Belgrade | 0–1 | 2–0 (a.e.t.) |
Matches
| Ludogorets Razgrad | 2–1 | Ferencváros |
|---|---|---|
| Report[7] |
|
| Ferencváros | 2–0 | Ludogorets Razgrad |
|---|---|---|
|
Report[9] |
Ferencváros won 3–2 on aggregate.
| Panathinaikos | 2–2 | Viktoria Plzeň |
|---|---|---|
|
Report[11] |
3–3 on aggregate; Panathinaikos won 4–3 on penalties.
Genk won 6–4 on aggregate.
| PAOK | 1–2 | Celta Vigo |
|---|---|---|
|
Report[19] |
Celta Vigo won 3–1 on aggregate.
| Celtic | 1–4 | VfB Stuttgart |
|---|---|---|
|
Report[23] |
|
VfB Stuttgart won 4–2 on aggregate.
| Fenerbahçe | 0–3 | Nottingham Forest |
|---|---|---|
| Report[27] |
|
| Nottingham Forest | 1–2 | Fenerbahçe |
|---|---|---|
|
Report[29] |
|
Nottingham Forest won 4–2 on aggregate.
| Bologna | 1–0 | Brann |
|---|---|---|
|
Report[33] |
Bologna won 2–0 on aggregate.
| Lille | 0–1 | Red Star Belgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Report[35] |
|
Lille won 2–1 on aggregate.
Round of 16
The draw for the round of 16 was held on 27 February 2026, 13:00 CET.[39]
Seeding
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.[40]
| 1/2 vs 15/16/17/18 | 3/4 vs 13/14/19/20 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Seeded | Predetermined | Seeded | Predetermined |
| 5/6 vs 11/12/21/22 | 7/8 vs 9/10/23/24 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Seeded | Predetermined | Seeded | Predetermined |
Summary
The first legs were played on 12 March, and the second legs were played on 18 and 19 March 2026.[41]
| Team 1 | Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ferencváros | 2–4 | Braga | 2–0 | 0–4 |
| Panathinaikos | 1–4 | Real Betis | 1–0 | 0–4 |
| Genk | 2–5 | SC Freiburg | 1–0 | 1–5 |
| Celta Vigo | 3–1 | Lyon | 1–1 | 2–0 |
| VfB Stuttgart | 1–4 | Porto | 1–2 | 0–2 |
| Nottingham Forest | 2–2 (3–0 p) | Midtjylland | 0–1 | 2–1 (a.e.t.) |
| Bologna | 5–4 | Roma | 1–1 | 4–3 (a.e.t.) |
| Lille | 0–3 | Aston Villa | 0–1 | 0–2 |
Matches
| Ferencváros | 2–0 | Braga |
|---|---|---|
|
Report[42] |
| Braga | 4–0 | Ferencváros |
|---|---|---|
|
Report[44] |
Braga won 4–2 on aggregate.
| Panathinaikos | 1–0 | Real Betis |
|---|---|---|
| Report[46] |
Real Betis won 4–1 on aggregate.
| Genk | 1–0 | SC Freiburg |
|---|---|---|
|
Report[51] |
SC Freiburg won 5–2 on aggregate.
| Celta Vigo | 1–1 | Lyon |
|---|---|---|
|
Report[55] |
|
Celta Vigo won 3–1 on aggregate.
| Porto | 2–0 | VfB Stuttgart |
|---|---|---|
|
Report[61] |
Porto won 4–1 on aggregate.
| Nottingham Forest | 0–1 | Midtjylland |
|---|---|---|
| Report[63] |
|
2–2 on aggregate; Nottingham Forest won 3–0 on penalties.
| Bologna | 1–1 | Roma |
|---|---|---|
|
Report[67] |
|
Bologna won 5–4 on aggregate.
| Lille | 0–1 | Aston Villa |
|---|---|---|
| Report[71] |
|
Aston Villa won 3–0 on aggregate.
Quarter-finals
Summary
The first legs were played on 8 and 9 April, and the second legs were played on 16 April 2026.[75]
| Team 1 | Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braga | 5–3 | Real Betis | 1–1 | 4–2 |
| SC Freiburg | 6–1 | Celta Vigo | 3–0 | 3–1 |
| Porto | 1–2 | Nottingham Forest | 1–1 | 0–1 |
| Bologna | 1–7 | Aston Villa | 1–3 | 0–4 |
Matches
| Braga | 1–1 | Real Betis |
|---|---|---|
|
Report[76] |
Braga won 5–3 on aggregate.
| SC Freiburg | 3–0 | Celta Vigo |
|---|---|---|
| Report[80] |
SC Freiburg won 6–1 on aggregate.
| Porto | 1–1 | Nottingham Forest |
|---|---|---|
|
Report[84] |
| Nottingham Forest | 1–0 | Porto |
|---|---|---|
|
Report[86] |
Nottingham Forest won 2–1 on aggregate.
Aston Villa won 7–1 on aggregate.
Semi-finals
Summary
The first legs were played on 30 April, and the second legs were played on 7 May 2026.
| Team 1 | Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braga | 3–4 | SC Freiburg | 2–1 | 1–3 |
| Nottingham Forest | 1–4 | Aston Villa | 1–0 | 0–4 |
Matches
SC Freiburg won 4–3 on aggregate.
| Nottingham Forest | 1–0 | Aston Villa |
|---|---|---|
| Report[96] |
Aston Villa won 4–1 on aggregate.
Final
The final was played on 20 May 2026 at the Beşiktaş Stadium in Istanbul. The winner of semi-final 1 was designated as the "home" team for administrative purposes.
| SC Freiburg | 0–3 | Aston Villa |
|---|---|---|
| Report[100] |
Notes
- The draws determined the exact play-off and round of 16 pairings for each side of the bracket, which mirrored each other. For example, if the team in 9th was drawn against 23rd in the play-offs, the team in 10th would be drawn against 24th on the other side of the bracket.
- Real Betis played their home matches at La Cartuja, Seville, instead of their regular stadium, Benito Villamarín, Seville, due to renovation works.[49]