The 2025-26 UEFA Conference League knockout stage came into sharper focus on Friday afternoon, as the draw for the knockout phase play-off round determined the eight high-stakes ties that will decide the final berths in the competition’s round of 16.
Conducted at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland, the ceremony paired the 16 clubs that finished between ninth and 24th in the innovative league phase, setting up clashes between established favourites and ambitious underdogs across the continent.
Among the most eye-catching fixtures is a meeting between Premier League side Crystal Palace and Bosnian outfit Zrinjski Mostar. Palace, who entered the draw as one of the seeded teams, will travel to Bosnia for the first leg on February 19 before hosting the return fixture at Selhurst Park on February 26.
Another notable pairing sees two-time competition runner-up Fiorentina of Italy face a Polish challenge from Jagiellonia Bialystok, with the Italian giants set to play the decisive second leg at home. The draw also produced a challenging tie for Armenian club Noah, who were pitted against the experienced Dutch side AZ Alkmaar.
The remaining play-off matchups will see Finland’s KuPS Kuopio take on Poland’s Lech Poznań, North Macedonia’s Shkëndija face Turkey’s Samsunspor, Kosovo’s Drita meet Slovenia’s Celje, the Czech Republic’s Sigma Olomouc play Switzerland’s Lausanne-Sport, and Cyprus’s Omonoia square off with Croatia’s Rijeka.
According to UEFA regulations, the eight clubs that finished between ninth and 16th in the league phase are seeded and will, in principle, host the second-leg matches.
The eight victorious teams from these two-legged ties, scheduled for February 19 and 26, will advance to join the clubs that finished in the top eight of the league phase, who have already secured automatic passage to the next round.
The round of 16 draw, which will set the path to the final in Leipzig on May 27, is scheduled for February 27. For now, the focus shifts to the playoff pitches, where dreams of European glory remain alive for a diverse field of clubs from across the continent.