Eight teams that won the play-off round – Atletico, Bodo/Glimt, Leverkusen, Newcastle, Atalanta, Galatasaray, PSG, and Real – join the eight top-performing teams from the group stage in the round of 16.

The eight top teams from the group stage are divided into four seeded pairs: Arsenal/Bayern (ranked first and second in the group stage), Liverpool/Tottenham (third and fourth), Barca/Chelsea (fifth and sixth), and Sporting/Man City (seventh and eighth). Clubs from each seeded pair will be drawn into one of two positions in the round of 16 to face the play-off winners.

Based on group stage rankings and play-off results, potential round of 16 matchups include Real or Bodo/Glimt against Man City or Sporting. Similarly, PSG/Newcastle could face Barca/Chelsea, Atletico/Galatasaray could meet Liverpool/Tottenham, and Atalanta/Leverkusen might play Arsenal/Bayern.

Knockout bracket for the 2025-2026 Champions League. *Photo: UEFA*

Teams advancing past the round of 16 will proceed through the predetermined bracket until the final, as shown in the image above. Similar to previous rounds, the team listed on the bottom line of each pairing will play their second leg match at home. The semi-final winner from the silver bracket will be designated as the nominal home team in the final.

Like the play-off round, the draw has no geographical restrictions. Teams from the same country can be drawn against each other. Under the new format, UEFA permits this in all knockout rounds to prevent fixture congestion as more teams from the same country advance and the total number of remaining clubs decreases.

Among the 16 remaining teams, six are from England, three from Spain, and two from Germany. The other teams represent Italy, France, Portugal, Turkey, and Norway. Highly anticipated clashes possible in the round of 16 include PSG versus Barca, PSG versus Chelsea, or Real versus Man City.

This marks the final Champions League draw for this season. The first leg matches of the round of 16 will take place on 10/3 and 11/3; the second leg on 17/3 and 18/3. The quarter-finals will be played over two legs on 7-8/4 and 14-15/4. The semi-finals are scheduled for 28-29/4 and 5-6/5. The final will be held in Budapest, at Puskas Arena, on 30/5.

Vy Anh