The 2025-26 UEFA Champions League has reached its decisive phase. After eight weeks of league-stage football involving 36 clubs in a single standings table — the second season under the competition’s revamped format — the field has been cut to sixteen.
The Round of 16 draw takes place on Friday, February 27, in Nyon, Switzerland, with first legs scheduled for March 10-11 and return fixtures on March 17-18. The road to the final at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest on May 30 now becomes clear.
The Sixteen Qualified Teams
Eight clubs earned direct passage to the Round of 16 by finishing inside the top eight of the league phase, avoiding the two-legged knockout play-off round altogether.
Arsenal (1st), Bayern Munich (2nd), Liverpool (3rd), Tottenham Hotspur (4th), Barcelona (5th), Chelsea (6th), Sporting CP (7th), and Manchester City (8th).
These eight are seeded for the draw and will host the second leg of their respective ties — a significant advantage heading into the knockout rounds.
The remaining eight spots were filled through the play-off stage, with first legs played on February 17-18 and second legs on February 24-25. The eight clubs to come through that round are: Paris Saint-Germain, Galatasaray, Real Madrid, Atalanta, Newcastle United, Atlético Madrid, Bodø/Glimt, and Bayer Leverkusen.
Several of those results were dramatic. Galatasaray’s progression was the most remarkable story of the play-off round. The Turkish champions overturned a 3-0 second-leg deficit against Juventus, scoring two goals in extra time to advance 7-5 on aggregate. PSG, the reigning champions, also came through, edging AS Monaco 5-4 on aggregate in a tie that went to the wire. Real Madrid beat Benfica 3-1 across two legs to extend their record of deep Champions League runs, while Atalanta eliminated Borussia Dortmund 4-3 on aggregate. Newcastle United produced the most emphatic result of the play-offs, dismantling Qarabag 9-3 over two legs to confirm their place among Europe’s last sixteen.
The Bracket and Potential Pairings
Under the current format, the full bracket — including potential quarter-final and semi-final paths — is determined at the same draw on February 27. Teams are not allocated randomly; the bracket is partially pre-structured based on league-phase finishing positions, meaning every club already knows which opponents they can and cannot face in each round.
Arsenal and Bayern Munich, as the top two finishers in the league phase, are on the same side of the bracket and cannot meet until the final. Both will face either Atalanta or Bayer Leverkusen in the Round of 16. Should they both progress, they are also guaranteed home advantage for second legs in both the quarter-finals and semi-finals — a substantial structural benefit.
Liverpool, who finished third, will face either Atlético Madrid or Galatasaray. Tottenham Hotspur, in fourth place, could meet the other of those two clubs depending on how the draw falls. Barcelona and Chelsea are slotted into ties against either Newcastle United or PSG — a draw with title implications from the off, given PSG’s pedigree as holders. Real Madrid’s potential opponents are Manchester City or Sporting CP, a match-up that would be a rematch of last season’s play-off tie which Real Madrid won.
Perhaps the most eye-catching story heading into the draw is the presence of Bodø/Glimt. The Norwegian club, based above the Arctic Circle, beat Inter Milan in the play-offs and were among the competition’s most consistent performers during the league phase, defeating both Manchester City and Atlético Madrid. They enter the draw as genuine underdogs but have demonstrated they are capable of causing damage against elite opposition. They will face either Manchester City or Sporting CP, whoever Real Madrid do not draw.
The six Premier League sides qualified represent the clearest sign of English football’s current dominance in European competition. Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, and Tottenham occupy the top four seeds, guaranteeing them home second legs in the Round of 16 and, should they advance, in the quarter-finals. That structural advantage cannot be understated in ties decided by fine margins.
Real Madrid, despite a more difficult route through the league phase, remain among the tournament favourites with the experience and squad depth to go deep. PSG, entering the knockout rounds as defending champions, will be tested early if drawn against Barcelona or Chelsea — a fixture that would be one of the most high-profile ties of the round.
The draw removes the away-goals rule, meaning any tie level on aggregate after two legs goes to extra time and penalties. That detail alone adds tension to every fixture, as there is no longer a safety net for teams scoring on the road.
With the bracket set to be confirmed on Friday and first-leg fixtures just over two weeks away, Europe’s sixteen best clubs are about to discover whether the form they have shown in the league phase translates to the unforgiving reality of knockout football. The final destination is Budapest. The path begins now.
