The UEFA Champions League round of 16 draw is scheduled for Friday, February 27, at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. This event will determine the knockout bracket for the top European clubs, mapping paths to the final in Budapest. Eight seeded teams from the league phase will face winners of the ongoing playoff ties.
The 2025-26 UEFA Champions League enters its knockout phase with the round of 16 draw approaching. The ceremony begins at 11 a.m. GMT (12:00 CET, 6 a.m. ET) and will be streamed on UEFA.com and the Champions League app. It will not only pair the eight seeded teams—Arsenal (1st), Bayern Munich (2nd), Liverpool (3rd), Tottenham Hotspur (4th), Barcelona (5th), Chelsea (6th), Sporting CP (7th), and Manchester City (8th)—with unseeded playoff winners but also outline quarterfinal and semifinal matchups.
The seeded teams advanced directly from the league phase, while the unseeded spots depend on second-leg playoff results concluding February 24-25. Current first-leg aggregates include PSG leading Monaco 3-2, Galatasaray ahead of Juventus 5-2, Real Madrid up 1-0 on Benfica, Borussia Dortmund 2-0 over Atalanta, Newcastle United 6-1 against Qarabag, Club Brugge tied 3-3 with Atletico Madrid, Bodo/Glimt 3-1 versus Inter Milan, and Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 on Olympiacos.
Possible round of 16 opponents for seeded teams are predefined by bracket pairs. For instance, Arsenal or Bayern Munich could face Borussia Dortmund/Atalanta or Bayer Leverkusen/Olympiacos. The full knockout schedule follows: last 16 on March 10-11 and 17-18; quarterfinals April 7-8 and 14-15; semifinals April 28-29 and May 5-6; final on May 30 at Puskás Arena in Budapest.
This draw sets the stage for intense competition among Europe's elite, with no country protections from the round of 16 onward.