Breaking: UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Draw Confirmed - Bracket, Key Matchups & Knockout Paths
by Devesh Jaganath | by Cydias Aujard
2025-26 UCL Round of 16 Bracket: Path to Quarter-Finals
The 2025-26 UEFA Champions League Knockout Stage Playoffs completed in midweek, and there were a fair few surprises, with the likes of Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund - finalists in the last two editions - both exiting the tournament, along with two-time winners Juventus.
Still, most of Europe’s top clubs remain in the running, and after today’s Champions League draw, the Round of 16 is shaping up to be a mouth-watering stage, and we will be covering every match in our in-depth Champions League predictions throughout the remainder of the tournament.
The headline fixture in the last 16 is another blockbuster clash between Real Madrid and Manchester City. Los Merengues and the Citizens are now set to lock horns in the knockout stages of the UCL for a fourth season in succession - the La Liga outfit holds the advantage with three wins in the four ties.
The other standout fixtures in the RO16 include a repeat of the FIFA Club World Cup, with reigning kings of Europe Paris Saint-Germain taking on Chelsea, while the only fixtures not featuring one of the six Premier League teams see Bodo/Glimt facing Sporting Lisbon and Atlanta paired with Bayern Munich.
Champions League bracket: Premier League teams learn opponents on road to Budapest
After a thorough dismantling of Qarabag in the Knockout Phase Playoffs, 9-3 on aggregate, Newcastle United guaranteed that the Round of 16 in this season’s Champions League will feature all six Premier League teams that entered the competition.
This is the first time in the history of the UCL that a single country has managed to send six sides to the Round of 16, and there is a chance that all of them could feature in the quarter-final, with the Magpies avoiding a possible clash against Chelsea in the upcoming round.
Instead, the Toon Army will face La Liga leaders Barcelona, while the Blues will take on PSG for a spot in the last eight. Liverpool will meet Galatasaray, Tottenham Hotspur will lock horns with Atletico Madrid, while Man City and Arsenal face Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen, respectively.
Should all six EPL clubs progress, there could be two all-English quarter-finals, with Chelsea pitted against Liverpool and Newcastle facing Spurs. Man City’s potential opponents in the final eight will be one of Atalanta/ Bayern Munich, while Arsenal will meet either Bodo/Glimt or Sporting Lisbon.
Which teams qualified directly to the Champions League Round of 16 (Seeded teams)?
- 1st: Arsenal
- 2nd: Bayern Munich
- 3rd: Liverpool
- 4th: Tottenham Hotspur
- 5th: Barcelona
- 6th: Chelsea
- 7th: Sporting CP
- 8th: Manchester City
What are the Champions League Knockout Phase dates?
- Round of 16: 10/11 & 17/18 March 2026
- Quarter-finals: 7/8 & 14/15 April 2026
- Semi-finals: 28/29 April and 5/6 May 2026
- Final: 30 May 2026 (Budapest)
How to watch the Champions League Knockout Phase?
Every match across the remainder of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League will be available to follow in real-time via our Champions League livescore tool.
- Australia: Stan Sport
- Belgium: DPG Media, RTL Belgium
- France: Canal+
- Germany: DAZN, Amazon Prime
- Hungary: RTL, Sport 1
- Indian Sub-Continent: Sony
- Italy: Sky, Amazon Prime
- Netherlands: Ziggo Sport
- Norway: TV2 Norway
- Poland: Canal+
- Portugal: Sport TV, DAZN
- Republic of Ireland: RTE, Premier Sports
- Spain: Telefonica
- Sub-Saharan Africa: SuperSport
- Sweden: Viaplay
- Turkiye: TRT
- United Kingdom: TNT Sports
