Europa League play-off draw
Top eight qualify automatically for last 16 and seeded
1. Lazio - Round of 16 v Roma (15th) or Plzen (16th)
2. Athletic Club - Round of 16 v Roma (15th) or Plzen (16th)
3. Manchester United - Round of 16 v AZ (19th) or Real Sociedad (13th)
4. Tottenham - Round of 16 v AZ (19th) or Real Sociedad (13th)
5. Frankfurt - Round of 16 v Bucharest (11th) or Ajax (12th)
6. Lyon - Round of 16 v Bucharest (11th) or Ajax (12th)
7. Olympiacos - Round of 16 v Fenerbahce (24th) or Bodo/Glimt (9th)
8. Rangers - Round of 16 v Fenerbahce (24th) or Bodo/Glimt (9th)
For those teams who finished 17th to 24th in the league phase standings, they will be unseeded for the rest of the competition and face the challenge of an away second leg in the play-offs.
New UEFA Europa League 2024/25 draw format explained: How it works and what's changed?
There has been a big overhaul of UEFA’s second competition this season. Gone are the days of the 32-team group phase, replaced by a 36-team league. Each team plays eight games with the top eight automatically qualifying for the round of 16, whilst the bottom 12 are eliminated.
Meanwhile, the teams that finished between ninth and 24th go into a play-off round to decide which eight teams will go on into the knockout part of the tournament. The round of 16, as part of the old format, continues with seeded teams playing unseeded teams, leading to quarter-finals, semi-finals and eventually the final itself.
When are the UEFA Europa League knockout phase play-offs?
The two-legged ties will be played during February with the first leg taking place on February 13th with the second leg happening a week later.
The games will kick off at either 17:45 GMT or 20:00 GMT and will be decided after the draw.
The knockout phase is a bracket from then until the final. Teams finishing between ninth and 16th in the league phase will be seeded teams, meaning they will play against a side that finished between 17th and 24th in the final standings.
The seeded team will play their home leg second, which will be confirmed once the draw has taken place.
When are the other UEFA Europa League knockout games played?
Round of 16: March 6th and March 13th
Quarter-finals: April 10th and April 17th
Semi-finals: May 1st and May 8th
Final: May 21st in Bilbao
When is the next round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals draw for the 24/25 UEFA Europa League?
The draw for the round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals will be made on February 21st, after the conclusion of the play-off round.
When and where is the 2024/2025 UEFA Europa League final?
This year’s Europa League final will take place on Wednesday, May 21st at 20:00 GMT in Bilbao. The home of Athletic Club, San Mames has hosted the Women’s Champions League final in 2024.