The end of the league phase for the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League is closing in, with all teams firmly eyeing the prize at the end of the competition.
The knockout stage will be set after the league phase concludes on January 29, with several sides from around the continent jockeying for their positions in the expanded latter stages.
In the new format introduced for 2024/25 onwards, the 36-team ladder grants the top eight sides an automatic route to the Round of 16 as seeded teams. Those finishing ninth to 24th enter a playoff round, with eight two-legged ties to supply the other unseeded teams for the last 16.
The club that lifts the Europa League trophy at the end of it all will not only secure major European silverware but also earn a valuable place in next year's Champions League.
MORE: When is the Champions League Round of 16 draw? All about the knockout stage
When is the Europa League Round of 16 draw?
The draw for the Europa League Round of 16 takes place on Friday, February 27. It will occur directly following the Champions League draw.
There is no confirmed time and venue for the draw yet, but these UEFA ceremonies typically take place at 12 p.m. CET at UEFA's base in Nyon, Switzerland. The Europa League draw will likely start at around 1 p.m. ET.
The month-long wait between the final league-phase matches and this draw is due to the playoff round. These matches are contested across two legs, the first over February 17/18 and the second across February 24/25.
Which teams are in the Europa League Round of 16 draw?
The top eight from the league phase will be seeded in the draw according to their finishing position and enter as seeded teams. This means they will play the second leg of the last-16 tie at home.
The other eight participants are those who advance from the playoff round.
The tournament bracket is already mapped up to the Round of 16 and beyond. For example, the club that comes first or second in the league phase will face the winner of the playoff between the team that came 17th or 18 and the team that came 15th or 16th. The 10th or ninth-placed sides will face the teams in 23rd or 24th for the right to play the seventh or eighth-place finishers in the last 16.
Once teams are handed their spots in the Round of 16 bracket, their route to the final will be set. There are no restrictions on teams from the same country facing one another at any stage from this point. As such, there will be no more knockout-stage draws from February 27 up to and including this season's final in Istanbul on Wednesday, May 20.
MORE: Updated list of teams to have qualified for UCL Round of 16 and knockout playoffs
When are the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 games?
The knockout-playoff round fills the space where Round of 16 first legs used to take place. As a result, the first round of the knockout-stage proper has been condensed and will take place over two consecutive weeks.
Teams play the first legs of their ties on Thursday, March 12, with the return matches on Thursday, March 19.
Away goals do not count in the Europa League after the rule was dropped before the 2021/22 season, so ties that are level at the end of normal time in the second leg go to extra time and, if necessary, penalties.
When is the UEFA Europa League knockout playoff draw?
The knockout playoff draw for the 2025/26 Europa League will take place on January 30, setting the stage for the first knockout matchups.
The 16 teams finishing in positions nine through 24 of the league phase will contest the knockout playoff round, hoping to be one of the eight remaining qualifiers through to the Round of 16.
Which teams are in the Europa League knockout playoff draw?
With two matches still to be played in the league phase of the Europa League, it's not yet known which teams will be on the pitch in the knockout playoff round.
These games will take place on Thursday, February 19 (first leg) and Thursday, February 26 (second leg).
UEFA Europa League knockout stage schedule
The quarterfinals take place in early and mid April, with the semifinal first legs at the end of the month and concluding in May.
The final is on May 20, to be played at Besiktas Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey.
Europa League knockout round dates 2025/26
| Stage | Dates |
| Knockout playoffs | February 19 (first legs); February 26 (second legs) |
| Round of 16 | March 12 (first legs); March 19 (second legs) |
| Quarterfinals | April 9 (first legs); 16 (second legs) |
| Semifinals | April 30 (first legs); May 7 (second legs) |
| Final | May 20 |