Nyon, Switzerland – Football fans around the world are eagerly awaiting the draw ceremony for the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League for the 2025-2026 season, which will take place today, Friday, February 27.
The draw will take place at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, with representatives of the participating clubs in attendance.
Teams that qualified for the round of 16
Sixteen teams qualified for this stage, with eight teams qualifying directly after occupying the top eight positions in the league stage, and eight other teams through the play-off round.
The teams that qualified directly are: Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting Lisbon, Manchester City.
The teams that qualified via the play-offs are: Atletico Madrid, Newcastle United, Bodø/Glimt, Bayer Leverkusen, Atalanta, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, and Galatasaray.
UEFA Champions League draw system
The draw includes the top eight teams along with the winners from the playoffs, and the matches are distributed according to the new system of the tournament.
The second leg matches will be played at the home grounds of the teams that qualified directly, and UEFA regulations also allow for matches between teams that have already met in the league stage or belong to the same country.
Today’s ceremony will also determine the entire course of the tournament, including the quarter-finals and semi-finals, so that each team knows its path to the final match.
Potential matchups in the round of 16
Paris Saint-Germain vs Barcelona or Chelsea
Galatasaray vs Liverpool or Tottenham
Real Madrid vs Sporting Lisbon or Manchester City
Atalanta vs Arsenal or Bayern Munich
Newcastle United vs Barcelona or Chelsea
Atletico Madrid vs Liverpool or Tottenham
Bodø/Glimt vs Sporting Lisbon or Manchester City
Bayer Leverkusen vs Arsenal or Bayern Munich
Dates for the knockout round matches
Round of 16:
First legs: March 10 and 11.
Second legs: March 17 and 18.
Quarter-finals:
First legs: April 7 and 8.
Second legs: April 14 and 15.
Semi-finals:
First legs: April 28 and 29.
Second legs: May 5 and 6.
Final:
May 30
The draw for the round of 16 will take place today.
The draw ceremony will begin at 3:00 PM Abu Dhabi time, and 2:00 PM Saudi time.
The channel broadcasting the Champions League draw
The draw ceremony will be broadcast via the open beIN SPORTS News channel.
