The 2025–26 Champions League is veering into crunch time, with the knockout playoffs supplying a healthy dose of the tantalising drama that’s bound to be in abundance as our sodden winters evolve into a sprightlier spring.
While eight clubs have been waiting patiently to resume their continental campaigns, others have slogged it out (with varying degrees of intensity) to reach the round of 16 and preserve their dreams of reaching the Champions League final in Budapest.
The round of 16 draw will not merely throw up eight fixtures, but also map out each team’s path to the Puskás Arena. Potential opponents beyond the next phase will be reduced to two and four for the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming Champions League draw.
When Is the Champions League Round of 16 Draw?
The draw for the Champions League round of 16 will take place less than 48 hours after the final round of playoff fixtures, getting underway at 11 a.m. GMT (6 a.m. ET, 3 a.m. PT) on Friday, Feb. 27.
Once again, the draw will be staged at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.
How to Watch the Champions League Round of 16 Draw
UEFA will be streaming the Champions League round of 16 draw on their official website (UEFA.com, UEFA.tv), as well as the Champions League app.
How Does the Champions League Round of 16 Draw Work?
The teams that finished in the top eight of the league phase table qualified automatically for the round of 16, and they’ll be joined by the eight winners from the knockout playoff round.
Four seeded pairs were created before the playoff draw based on their final positions in the table, and in Friday’s draw, the two teams in each pair will be drawn onto opposite sides of the bracket and face off against two potential opponents in the round of 16.
The draw kicks off with the teams ranked seventh and eighth (Sporting CP and Manchester City), and the team drawn first from this pair will be allocated to the silver side of the bracket. The other team will head over to the blue side of the bracket. This procedure is carried out for the three remaining pairs, concluding with the first and second pair (Arsenal and Bayern Munich).
With every team’s position in the bracket determined by the knockout playoff and round of 16 draws, their paths to the final will become clear on Friday.
Champions League Round of 16 Teams
Seeded Teams
- First: Arsenal
- Second: Bayern Munich
- Third: Liverpool
- Fourth: Tottenham Hotspur
- Fifth: Barcelona
- Sixth: Chelsea
- Seventh: Sporting CP
- Eighth: Manchester City
Unseeded Teams
- Ninth/24th: Real Madrid/Benfica
- 10th/23rd: Inter Milan/Bodø/Glimt
- 11th/21st: Paris Saint-Germain/Monaco
- 12th/22nd: Newcastle United/QarabaÄŸ
- 13th/20th: Juventus/Galatasaray
- 14th/19th: Atlético Madrid/Club Brugge
- 15th/17th: Atalanta/Borussia Dortmund
- 16th/18th: Bayer Leverkusen/Olympiacos
Potential Round of 16 Fixtures
- Arsenal/Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund/Atalanta/Bayer Leverkusen/Olympiacos
- Liverpool/Tottenham Hotspur vs. Juventus/Galatasaray/Atlético Madrid/Club Brugge
- Barcelona/Chelsea vs. Paris Saint-Germain/Monaco/Newcastle United/QarabaÄŸ
- Sporting CP/Manchester City vs. Real Madrid/Benfica/Inter Milan/Bodø/Glimt
Full Champions League Knockout Schedule
|
Stage |
Date |
|---|---|
|
Last 16 |
March 10/11 & 17/18 |
|
Quarterfinals |
April 7/8 & 14/15 |
|
Semifinals |
April 28/29 & May 5/6 |
|
Final |
May 30 |
