The change in UEFA Europa League format has completely rearranged the way the league phase is played and how the subsequent knockout stage is structured.
Europa League bracket, explained: Possible knockout opponents for every team in Round of 16, playoffs originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The change in UEFA Europa League format has completely rearranged the way the league phase is played and how the subsequent knockout stage is structured.
After the thrilling conclusion to the Champions League the day before, which saw clubs jockeying for position until the final kick of the final match, the spotlight now turns to the Europa League where 24 teams will be chosen to battle for European supremacy.
The top eight finishers in the league phase advance straight to the Round of 16, while the sixteen teams below them will contest a two-legged playoff round to determine the other eight qualifiers.
The Sporting News details exactly how the matchups are decided, who can play who, and where each team's pathway to Europa League glory can be drawn.
MORE:Breaking down the Champions League knockout bracket for 2025/26
Europa League bracket, explained
In the new Europa League format, which follows what is known as the Swiss Model as does the Champions League, the knockout-stage bracket is largely predetermined by final league-phase positions, although not entirely.
There will be a draw following the league phase (taking place on Friday, January 30 this year) to set the playoff-round matchups, and then another draw prior to the Round of 16 to set the entire rest of the bracket.
In both the knockout playoffs and the Round of 16, each qualifier has only two possible opponents against whom they can be drawn.
Possible opponents for every team in knockout playoffs
In the Europa League knockout playoffs, the top qualifiers from the league phase are drawn against the lowest-finishing qualifiers, and so on.
The matchups are as follows:
- 9th & 10th vs. 23rd & 24th
- 11th & 12th vs. 21st & 22nd
- 13th & 14th vs. 19th & 20th
- 15th & 16th vs. 17th & 18th
The table below shows how the seeding works in the Europa League knockout-playoff round for the 2025/26 season.
| League phase pos. | Possible opponents |
| 9th | 23rd or 24th |
| 10th | 23rd or 24th |
| 11th | 21st and 22nd |
| 12th | 21st and 22nd |
| 13th | 19th or 20th |
| 14th | 19th or 20th |
| 15th | 17th or 18th |
| 16th | 17th or 18th |
| 17th | 15th or 16th |
| 18th | 15th or 16th |
| 19th | 13th or 14th |
| 20th | 13th or 14th |
| 21st | 11th or 12th |
| 22nd | 11th or 12th |
| 23rd | 9th or 10th |
| 24th | 9th or 10th |
Possible opponents for every team in Round of 16
In the Europa League Round of 16, the eight winners from the knockout playoffs are drawn against the top eight finishers from the league phase, again according to those final positions.
The matchups are as follows:
- 1st & 2nd in league phase vs. winner of 15/16 vs. 17/18
- 3rd & 4th in league phase vs. winner of 13/14 vs. 19/20
- 5th & 6th in league phase vs. winner of 11/12 vs. 21/22
- 7th & 8th in league phase vs. winner of 9/10 vs. 23/24
The table below shows how the seeding works in the Europa League Round of 16 for the 2025/26 season.
| League phase pos. | Possible opponents |
| 1st | 15/16 or 17/18 |
| 2nd | 15/16 or 17/18 |
| 3rd | 13/14 or 19/20 |
| 4th | 13/14 or 19/20 |
| 5th | 11/12 or 21/22 |
| 6th | 11/12 or 21/22 |
| 7th | 9/10 or 23/24 |
| 8th | 9/10 or 23/24 |
Europa League knockout bracket, matchups for 2025/26
The schedule and matchups for the 2025/26 Europa League knockout playoffs will be set at the draw on Friday, January 30.
Following that round, the schedule and matchups for the rest of the Europa League knockout phase will be determined at the Round of 16 draw on February 27. There will be no further draws from that point on, as the entirety of the bracket will be set at that point.
2025/26 Europa League knockout stage schedule
Playoff Round — 1st leg
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Thu, Feb. 19 | KO1: 23 or 24 vs. 9 or 10 | ||
| Thu, Feb. 19 | KO2: 23 or 24 vs. 9 or 10 | ||
| Thu, Feb. 19 | KO3: 21 or 22 vs. 11 or 12 | ||
| Thu, Feb. 19 | KO4: 21 or 22 vs. 11 or 12 | ||
| Thu, Feb. 19 | KO5: 19 or 20 vs. 13 or 14 | ||
| Thu, Feb. 19 | KO6: 19 or 20 vs. 13 or 14 | ||
| Thu, Feb. 19 | KO7: 17 or 18 vs. 15 or 16 | ||
| Thu, Feb. 19 | KO8: 17 or 18 vs. 15 or 16 |
Playoff Round — 2nd leg
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Thu, Feb. 26 | KO1: 9 or 10 vs. 23 or 24 | ||
| Thu, Feb. 26 | KO2: 9 or 10 vs. 23 or 24 | ||
| Thu, Feb. 26 | KO3: 11 or 12 vs. 21 or 22 | ||
| Thu, Feb. 26 | KO4: 11 or 12 vs. 21 or 22 | ||
| Thu, Feb. 26 | KO5: 13 or 14 vs. 19 or 20 | ||
| Thu, Feb. 26 | KO6: 13 or 14 vs. 19 or 20 | ||
| Thu, Feb. 26 | KO7: 15 or 16 vs. 17 or 18 | ||
| Thu, Feb. 26 | KO8: 15 or 16 vs. 17 or 18 |
Round of 16 — 1st leg
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Thu, Mar. 12 | M1: Winner KO8 vs. 1st place or 2nd place | ||
| Thu, Mar. 12 | M2: Winner KO7 vs. 1st place or 2nd place | ||
| Thu, Mar. 12 | M3: Winner KO6 vs. 3rd place or 4th place | ||
| Thu, Mar. 12 | M4: Winner KO5 vs. 3rd place or 4th place | ||
| Thu, Mar. 12 | M5: Winner KO4 vs. 5th place or 6th place | ||
| Thu, Mar. 12 | M6: Winner KO3 vs. 5th place or 6th place | ||
| Thu, Mar. 12 | M7: Winner KO2 vs. 7th place or 8th place | ||
| Thu, Mar. 12 | M8: Winner KO1 vs. 7th place or 8th place |
Round of 16 — 2nd leg
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Thu, Mar. 19 | M1: 1st place or 2nd place vs. Winner KO8 | ||
| Thu, Mar. 19 | M2: 1st place or 2nd place vs. Winner KO7 | ||
| Thu, Mar. 19 | M3: 3rd place or 4th place vs. Winner KO6 | ||
| Thu, Mar. 19 | M4: 3rd place or 4th place vs. Winner KO5 | ||
| Thu, Mar. 19 | M5: 5th place or 6th place vs. Winner KO4 | ||
| Thu, Mar. 19 | M6: 5th place or 6th place vs. Winner KO3 | ||
| Thu, Mar. 19 | M7: 7th place or 8th place vs. Winner KO2 | ||
| Thu, Mar. 19 | M8: 7th place or 8th place vs. Winner KO1 |
Quarterfinals — 1st leg
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Thu, Apr. 9 | QF1: Winner, M1 vs. Winner, M8 | ||
| Thu, Apr. 9 | QF2: Winner, M2 vs. Winner, M7 | ||
| Thu, Apr. 9 | QF3: Winner, M3 vs. Winner, M6 | ||
| Thu, Apr. 9 | QF4: Winner, M4 vs. Winner, M5 |
Quarterfinals — 2nd leg
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Thu, Apr. 16 | QF1: Winner, M1 vs. Winner, M8 | ||
| Thu, Apr. 16 | QF2: Winner, M2 vs. Winner, M7 | ||
| Thu, Apr. 16 | QF3: Winner, M3 vs. Winner, M6 | ||
| Thu, Apr. 16 | QF4: Winner, M4 vs. Winner, M5 |
Quarterfinals — 2nd leg
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Thu, Apr. 16 | QF1: Winner, M1 vs. Winner, M8 | ||
| Thu, Apr. 16 | QF2: Winner, M2 vs. Winner, M7 | ||
| Thu, Apr. 16 | QF3: Winner, M3 vs. Winner, M6 | ||
| Thu, Apr. 16 | QF4: Winner, M4 vs. Winner, M5 |
Semifinals — 1st leg
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Thu, Apr. 30 | SF1: Winner, QF1 vs. Winner, QF4 | ||
| Thu, Apr. 30 | SF2: Winner, QF2 vs. Winner, QF3 |
Semifinals — 2nd leg
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Thu, May 7 | SF1: Winner, QF1 vs. Winner, QF4 | ||
| Thu, May 7 | SF2: Winner, QF2 vs. Winner, QF3 |
Champions League final
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Wed, May 20 | 3 p.m. | SF1: Winner, SF1 vs. Winner, SF2 | Besiktas Stadium (Istanbul, Turkey) |
Category: General Sports
