Friday morning, UEFA conducted the draw for the Champion League's new playoff phase, which essentially adds one more round to the previous format's knockout stage. 16 teams were sorted, with pairings influenced (but not entirely determined) by order of finish in the group stage.

The 2024-25 Champions League knockout playoff draw concluded Friday, Jan. 31 as UEFA prepares for the bracket stage of their premier competition. The teams that finished ninth through 24th in the league phase must play a two-legged playoff to advance to the next stage of the bracket.

The UEFA Champions League's first-ever league phase came to a dramatic close on Wednesday, setting up for an equally entertaining knockout stage that begins in two weeks' time. The introduction of the new format means the Champions League will introduce a new phase of competition in February when 16 teams will take part in the knockout round playoffs.