2025-26 Champions League round of 16 draw: Teams, fixtures, dates, bracket
After Friday’s draw in Nyon, the 16 teams remaining in the UEFA Champions League now know the identity of their next opponents.
Real Madrid have been handed another blockbuster clash with Manchester City, after Friday’s Champions League round-of-16 draw paired Los Blancos with Pep Guardiola’s men in the knockout stages for the fifth straight season.
Friday’s draw also saw holders Paris Saint-Germain get Premier League opposition, with Chelsea pitted against the Ligue 1 giants.
Among the other notable ties to come out of the hat at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, the Norwegian giant-killers Bodø/Glimt - who ousted 2025 runners-up Inter Milan in the knockout-phase playoffs - were given a last-16 matchup with Portuguese club Sporting CP.
Champions League round-of-16 draw in full:
- PSG vs Chelsea
- Galatasaray vs Liverpool
- Real Madrid vs Man City
- Atalanta vs Bayern Munich
- Newcastle vs Barcelona
- Atlético Madrid vs Tottenham
- Bodø/Glimt vs Sporting CP
- Bayer Leverkusen vs Arsenal
In each Champions League round-of-16 tie, the team listed second is at home in the second leg.
When are the 2025-26 Champions League round-of-16 games?
The first legs will be played on March 10 and 11, with the second legs following March 17 and 18. The full round-of-16 fixture schedule is:
First legs:
Tuesday, March 10
- 12:45 p.m. ET: Galatasaray vs Liverpool
- 3:00 p.m. ET: Atalanta vs Bayern München
- 3:00 p.m. ET: Atlético Madrid vs Tottenham
- 3:00 p.m. ET: Newcastle vs Barcelona
Wednesday, March 11
- 12:45 p.m. ET: Leverkusen vs Arsenal
- 3:00 p.m. ET: Bodø/Glimt vs Sporting CP
- 3:00 p.m. ET: Paris Saint-Germain vs Chelsea
- 3:00 p.m. ET: Real Madrid vs Manchester City
Second legs:
Tuesday, March 17
- 12:45 p.m. ET: Sporting CP vs Bodø/Glimt
- 3:00 p.m. ET: Arsenal vs Leverkusen
- 3:00 p.m. ET: Chelsea vs Paris Saint-Germain
- 3:00 p.m. ET: Manchester City vs Real Madrid
Wednesday, March 18
- 12:45 p.m. ET: Barcelona vs Newcastle
- 3:00 p.m. ET: Bayern München vs Atalanta
- 3:00 p.m. ET: Liverpool vs Galatasaray
- 3:00 p.m. ET: Tottenham vs Atlético Madrid
2025-26 Champions League bracket:
Every round-of-16 team now also knows their potential path all the way to May’s final in Budapest, as clubs have each been positioned on one side of a knockout-stage bracket: the ‘silver’ side or the ‘blue’ side.
Friday’s draw has left several of the Champions League’s biggest names - Real Madrid, PSG, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Bayern Munich - on the ‘silver’ side of the draw. It’s a circumstance which, in theory, offers teams on the ‘blue’ side of the knockout-stage bracker a more straightforward passageway to the title decider in Hungary.
In the Champions League quarterfinals and semifinals, the possible matchups are:
Quarterfinals
‘Silver’ side:
- PSG/Chelsea vs Galatasaray/Liverpool
- Real Madrid/Manchester City vs Atalanta/Bayern Munich
‘Blue’ side:
- Newcastle/Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid/Tottenham
- Bodø/Glimt/Sporting vs Bayer Leverkusen/Arsenal
Semifinals
‘Silver’ side:
- PSG/Chelsea/Galatasaray/Liverpool vs Real Madrid/Manchester City/Atalanta/Bayern Munich
‘Blue’ side:
- Newcastle/Barcelona/Atlético Madrid/Tottenham vs Bodø/Glimt/Sporting/Bayer Leverkusen/Arsenal
Champions League knockout stages: Full schedule
Round of 16
- First legs: March 10-11
- Second legs: March 17-18
Quarterfinals
- First legs: April 7-8
- Second legs: April 14-15
Semifinals
- First legs: April 28-29
- Second legs: May 5-6
Final
- May 30 at Puskás Arena in Budapest, Hungary
No more away goals
The Champions League no longer uses the away goal rule. If matchups are level after 180 minutes at the end of the second leg, two 15-minute periods of extra time are played. If the teams are still tied, a penalty shootout will determine the winner.
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