When is the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League round of 16 draw? Date, times, possible matchups, how to watch

Just four spots remain up for grabs in the Champions League round of 16, after a quartet of teams secured progress from the knockout-phase playoffs on Tuesday.

The headlines go to Norwegians Bodo Glimt, who beat Inter Milan 2-1 at San Siro to seal a shock aggregate win over last season’s Champions League runners-up. Elsewhere on Tuesday, Atlético Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and Newcastle United all completed two-legged victories over Club Brugge, Olympiacos and Qarabag, respectively.

Tuesday’s UCL playoffs second-leg results:

• Atlético Madrid 4-1 Club Brugge (7-4 agg)
• Bayer Leverkusen 0-0 Olympiacos (2-0 agg)
• Inter Milan 1-2 Bodo Glimt (2-5 agg)
• Newcastle 3-2 Qarabag (9-3 agg)

When is the Champions League round of 16 draw?

The knockout-phase playoffs conclude with four further deciding legs on Wednesday, before attentions turn to the round of 16 draw, which takes place in Nyon on Friday, Feb. 27, at 12 noon local time. In the United States, that translates into a 6:00 a.m. ET/3:00 a.m. PT start.

At UEFA HQ in Switzerland, the eight playoff winners will join the league phase’s top eight finishers in the last-16 hat, as the knockout stage proper’s opening matchups are revealed. What’s more, Friday’s event will also determine every team’s potential path through the quarterfinals and semifinals, all the way to May’s final in Budapest.

How can I watch the Champions League round of 16 draw?

You can stream the draw live on UEFA.com, UEFA.tv and the Champions League app. You’ll also have the option of following live-text coverage of the event right here, at AS USA.

Who’s already in the round of 16 draw?

Seeded teams:

• Arsenal
• Bayern Munich
• Liverpool
• Tottenham
• Barcelona
• Chelsea
• Sporting CP
• Manchester City

Unseeded teams:

• Atlético Madrid
• Bayer Leverkusen
• Bodo Glimt
• Newcastle United

Who’s still vying for round of 16 qualification? Playoff second-leg schedule:

Wednesday, Feb. 25

• 12:45 p.m. ET: Atalanta vs Borussia Dortmund (agg: 0-2)
• 3:00 p.m. ET: Juventus vs Galatasaray (agg: 2-5)
• 3:00 p.m. ET: PSG vs Monaco (agg: 3-2)
• 3:00 p.m. ET: Real Madrid vs Benfica (agg: 1-0)

How will the round of 16 draw work?

A total of eight round of 16 ties will be drawn out of the hat in Nyon, in each case pitting a seeded team (one of the league phase’s top eight finishers) with an unseeded team (one of the qualifiers from the playoffs).

Each last 16 participant will head into Friday’s draw knowing they can be paired with one of two clubs. This is because, during January’s knockout-phase playoff draw, each playoff was assigned two possible seeds that can be paired with that tie’s winner in the round of 16.

For example, Leverkusen and the winner of Dortmund vs Atalanta can only draw either Arsenal or Bayern, while Newcastle and the winner of PSG vs Monaco can only be paired with one of Barcelona or Chelsea:

• Arsenal: can draw Dortmund/Atalanta/Leverkusen
• Bayern: can draw Dortmund/Atalanta/Leverkusen
• Liverpool: can draw Juventus/Galatasaray/Atlético
• Tottenham: can draw Juventus/Galatasaray/Atlético
• Barcelona: can draw PSG/Monaco/Newcastle
• Chelsea: can draw PSG/Monaco/Newcastle
• Man City: can draw Real Madrid/Benfica/Bodo Glimt
• Sporting: can draw Real Madrid/Benfica/Bodo Glimt

As was also the case in the knockout-phase playoffs, teams from the same national association can be drawn together in the round of 16.

UCL knockout stage bracket:

During the playoffs draw, teams were placed in a knockout stage bracket with predetermined pathways to the final - so once a club’s last-16 tie is confirmed, so too are the opponents they could meet in the following rounds:

When will the Champions League round of 16 be played?

• First legs: Tuesday, Mar. 11 and Wednesday, Mar. 12
• Second legs: Tuesday, Mar. 18 and Wednesday, Mar. 19

What about the rest of the UCL knockout stages?

Quarterfinals

• First legs: Tuesday, Apr. 7 and Wednesday, Apr. 8
• Second legs: Tuesday, Apr. 14 and Wednesday, Apr. 15

Semifinals

• First legs: Tuesday, Apr. 28 and Wednesday, Apr. 29
• Second legs: Tuesday, May 5 and Wednesday, May 6

Final

• Saturday, May 30, at Puskás Arena in Budapest, Hungary

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