The 2026/27 Champions League playoffs are the last hurdle before the league stage. Between August 18th and 26th, 14 clubs compete for seven places; the winners join the 29 already classified directly and complete the group of 36 participants in the main stage.
For those following in Brazil, there is an important detail before starting the broadcast: the time announced by the broadcaster may be the start of the pre-game, not the time of the ball rolling. UEFA schedules all first-leg matches at 9pm central European time, which corresponds to 4pm Brasília in this period of August. The schedule published by TNT Sports opens some broadcasts at 3pm and others at 3:45pm.
Tuesday, August 18: three games open the playoffs
Fenerbahçe x Lyon
Fenerbahçe and Lyon play the most exposed duel on Tuesday. The ball rolls at 4pm Brasília time. TNT Sports reported broadcast on TNT, HBO Max and YouTube from TNT Sports Brasil, with coverage from 3pm. The return trip will be in Lyon, on Wednesday, August 26th, also at 4pm Brasília time.
Both clubs reached the playoff via the leagues. Fenerbahçe eliminated Sturm Graz 3-0 on aggregate in the third qualifying phase. Lyon turned the match around against Sparta Praha: they lost the first leg 2-1, won the second leg 3-0 and advanced 4-2 on aggregate.
Dinamo Zagreb x Viking
Dinamo Zagreb and Viking play at 4pm Brasília time. For the trip, TNT Sports' programming includes Space and HBO Max, with broadcast starting at 3:45 pm. The return match will be in Norway, on Wednesday, August 26th, at 4pm Brasília time.
Dinamo needed to go through the third phase and did so with a large advantage over Kauno Žalgiris: 7-1 on aggregate. The Viking enters directly into this stage of the path of champions.
Levski Sofia x AEK Athens
Levski Sofia and AEK Athens also enter the field at 4pm Brasília time. The trip appears on the Brazilian schedule as an HBO Max exclusive, with coverage starting at 3:45 pm. The second game will be in Athens, on Wednesday, August 26th, at 4pm Brasília time.
Levski eliminated Kairat Almaty 2-0 on aggregate in the third round. AEK Athens is one of the clubs that enters directly into the champions path playoff.
Wednesday, August 19: four clashes complete the rounds
N.E.C. Nijmegen x Bodø/Glimt
N.E.C. Nijmegen and Bodø/Glimt play at 4pm Brasília time. The broadcast announced for the trip is on TNT, HBO Max and YouTube from TNT Sports Brasil, with coverage from 3pm. The return is scheduled for Tuesday, August 25th, in Norway, at 4pm Brasília time.
The confrontation brings together two tight classifications in the third phase. The N.E.C. eliminated Olympiacos 2-1 on aggregate after extra time, while Bodø/Glimt beat Union Saint-Gilloise 6-5 on aggregate over the two games, also with the decision going beyond 90 minutes in the return.
Celtic x LASK
Celtic and LASK start the clash at 4pm Brasília time. The schedule for the first game indicates Space and HBO Max, with broadcast starting at 3:45 pm. The return duel will be in Austria, on Tuesday, August 25th, at 4pm Brasília time.
Both clubs enter directly into this stage of the champions' path. This makes this one of the few playoff clashes in which neither side needed to compete in the third qualifying round.
Slovan Bratislava x Celje
Slovan Bratislava and Celje play at 4pm Brasília. The departure is announced to be broadcast by HBO Max, starting at 3:45 pm. The return trip will be in Slovenia, on Wednesday, August 26th, at 4pm Brasília time.
In the third phase, Slovan beat Mjällby 4-1 on aggregate. Celje had a tighter path: they lost the first leg to Ararat-Armenia 2-1, won the second leg 2-0 and advanced 3-2 on aggregate.
Hapoel Beer-Sheva x Sabah
Hapoel Beer-Sheva and Sabah close the list of trips at 4pm Brasília, with transmission announced by HBO Max from 3:45pm. The return will be in Azerbaijan on Tuesday, August 25th. This is the only game in the second leg with a different time from the others: UEFA scheduled it for 6:45 pm central European time, equivalent to 1:45 pm Brasília time in this period.
Hapoel Beer-Sheva eliminated Crvena Zvezda 3-0 on aggregate in the previous phase. Sabah beat Aarhus 5-2 on aggregate.
Broadcast time is not always game time
The TNT Sports guide is especially useful for knowing which screen each match will be on, but the times shown there act as the start of coverage. Therefore, Fenerbahçe x Lyon and N.E.C. x Bodø/Glimt appear from 3pm, while the other games enter the schedule from 3:45pm. The reference for the kickoff is the official UEFA schedule: 9pm central European time for all trips, or 4pm Brasília in August.
In practice, anyone who just wants to arrive in time for the match can use 4pm as a reference for the seven first legs. Those who prefer to follow the lineups, warm-ups and pre-game should enter in advance, according to the broadcaster's schedule.
Where to watch the seven games in Brazil
HBO Max is the option that brings together all seven first-leg matches. On TV, TNT receives Fenerbahçe x Lyon and N.E.C. Nijmegen x Bodø/Glimt, while Space shows Dinamo Zagreb x Viking and Celtic x LASK. The other three games are only streamed within the schedule published for the trips.
There are also two matches broadcast free of charge on TNT Sports Brasil's YouTube: Fenerbahçe x Lyon, on Tuesday, and N.E.C. Nijmegen x Bodø/Glimt, on Wednesday. For return matches, HBO Max remains the platform with full Champions coverage under the current TNT Sports package, but the specific division between TNT, Space and YouTube may be updated closer to the decisive dates.
How the seven playoffs work
The 14 clubs are divided into two paths. Five clashes belong to the champions path, reserved for clubs that reached the competition as national champions. The other two clashes are from the league path, made up of teams classified by positions in championships that offer more than one place in the Champions League.
Each place is decided in two games, one in each command. The seven winners advance to the league stage. The seven losers are not left without European competition: UEFA determines that they enter directly into the league stage of the Europa League.
What happens after August 26th
Once the playoffs are over, the Champions League will have the 36 participants from the league phase defined: 29 classified directly and seven coming from this round. The league stage draw is scheduled for Thursday, August 27th at 6pm Central European Time.
The first round of the league phase will be played between September 8th and 10th. Until then, these seven knockout stages are the last piece missing to complete the 2026/27 Champions League table and define which clubs enter the main draw.
Quick schedule for Brazilian fans
On Tuesday, August 18, the three games start at 4pm Brasília: Fenerbahçe x Lyon, Dinamo Zagreb x Viking and Levski Sofia x AEK Athens. On Wednesday, August 19th, also at 4pm, they will play N.E.C. Nijmegen x Bodø/Glimt, Celtic x LASK, Slovan Bratislava x Celje and Hapoel Beer-Sheva x Sabah.
The tours are concentrated on August 25th and 26th. On Tuesday the 25th, Sabah x Hapoel Beer-Sheva starts at 1:45 pm Brasília time, and LASK x Celtic and Bodø/Glimt x N.E.C. Nijmegen at 4pm. On Wednesday the 26th, AEK Athens x Levski Sofia, Viking x Dinamo Zagreb, Celje x Slovan Bratislava and Lyon x Fenerbahçe
starts at 4pm.
To avoid mixing pre-game with kickoff, the rule of thumb is simple: use UEFA to confirm the time of the ball rolling and the TNT Sports schedule to know on which channel or platform the broadcast starts. It is this combination that avoids missing the start and also reduces the risk of following schedule times as if they were official match times.
