- - Does UEFA Champions League use away goals rule? Explaining tiebreaker

Seth Vertelney, USA TODAYFebruary 17, 2026 at 5:05 AM

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Does UEFA Champions League use away goals rule? Explaining tiebreaker

The UEFA Champions League knockout phase is back, with playoff round matches kicking off on Tuesday, Feb. 17.

Sixteen teams have advanced to the playoff phase, with the eight winners of the two-leg ties advancing to the round of 16.

There, those teams will meet the eight teams that have already clinched direct spots in the round of 16.

If any knockout-phase matchup is level after both legs, no away-goals tiebreaker will be used.

UEFA abolished the away goals tiebreaker in June 2021. Since then, all ties that remain level after 180 minutes proceed to extra time, followed by penalties if necessary.

Why is the away goals tiebreaker no longer used?

According to UEFA, the advantage of playing at home had been reduced over the years. Home wins decreased from 61% in the mid-1970s to 47% in the 2020-21 season

UEFA attributed that change to numerous factors, including "better pitch quality and standardized pitch sizes, improved stadium infrastructure, higher security conditions, enhanced care of refereeing" and "more comfortable travel conditions," among other factors.

According to UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin, the away-goals tiebreaker had become counterproductive.

"The impact of the rule now runs counter to its original purpose as, in fact, it now dissuades home teams – especially in first legs – from attacking, because they fear conceding a goal that would give their opponents a crucial advantage," Čeferin said.

"There is also criticism of the unfairness, especially in extra time, of obliging the home team to score twice when the away team has scored."

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