Champions League Draw: Last-16 dates, bracket path and who each Premier League club could face
The Champions League Draw will take place on Friday at 11: 00 GMT and will determine the 16 sides in the knockout phase, the full bracket through to the semi-finals, and the immediate matchups the leading English clubs could face. The draw matters because it pairs eight play-off winners with the top eight from the league phase and assigns bracket positions that reveal potential quarter-final and semi-final pathways.
Champions League Draw timing and scope
The draw is scheduled for Friday at 11: 00 GMT (Friday, February 27 is the date given for the draw) and will allocate not only last-16 opponents but also a side of the bracket for every team. That means clubs will immediately know potential quarter-final, semi-final and final opponents following the draw. The eight winners of the two-legged knockout phase play-offs will join the top eight sides from the league-phase table in the hat.
Which English clubs are already in the hat and their possible opponents
Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur were already confirmed in the last 16. Newcastle United joined them after a 9-3 aggregate win over Qarabag in the play-off round. Listed possibilities for the English clubs before the draw include:
- Arsenal: Bayer Leverkusen or Borussia Dortmund/Atalanta
- Chelsea: Newcastle or Monaco/Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)
- Liverpool: Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray/Juventus
- Manchester City: Bodo/Glimt or Benfica/Real Madrid
- Newcastle: Chelsea or Barcelona
- Tottenham Hotspur: Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray/Juventus
Newcastle will also find out on Friday whether Tottenham or Liverpool are potential quarter-final opponents and whether they are on course for a potential semi-final with Manchester City or Arsenal. The earliest opportunity for two English sides to meet is in the last 16, when Newcastle could come up against Chelsea. The earliest opportunity for any other all-English meetings is in the quarter-finals, with scenarios that could see Manchester City meet Arsenal or Chelsea/Newcastle cross paths with Tottenham or Liverpool.
Play-off results shaping the hat
Recent play-off outcomes have already confirmed several of the potential opponents that will appear in the draw. Atletico Madrid completed a 7-4 aggregate victory over Club Brugge to advance from the knockout play-off. Galatasaray hold a 5-2 advantage over Juventus after the first leg in Istanbul. Paris Saint-Germain hold a 3-2 lead before hosting Monaco. Real Madrid lead Benfica 1-0, and Borussia Dortmund have a 2-0 advantage over Atalanta. Bodo/Glimt eliminated Inter Milan and stand to face either Manchester City or Sporting. Bayer Leverkusen will play Bayern Munich or Arsenal.
On Wednesday the names in the hat for the last 16 were confirmed, and with the midweek play-offs concluding, several clubs know their last-16 options have narrowed from four possible opponents to two.
Knockout format, seeding and implications for home advantage
From the last-16 stage onward the competition adopts a knockout format in which each fixture other than the final is contested over two legs. Teams' final ranking in the league phase influences seeding in the last 16; seeded sides—those finishing in the top eight of the league phase—are given the advantage of playing the second leg at home. This season is the first in which league-phase position also influences seeding for the quarter-finals and semi-finals.
Teams finishing first to fourth at the end of the league phase will be seeded for the quarter-finals and therefore will have the home advantage in their quarter-final second legs. The two sides who finish top and runner-up in the league will also be seeded for the semi-finals, earning the benefit of playing the second leg of their semis at home should they reach that stage. If a seeded team does not progress to the quarter or semi-finals, the team that knocks them out will inherit their seeding position.
Schedule for last-16 and the final venue
Last-16 first legs will take place on either 10 or 11 March, with the reverse fixtures scheduled for 17-18 March. The Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary will host the 2025-26 final on 30 May. The draw on Friday will therefore set immediate ties and the longer bracket path that could lead clubs to that final venue.
Wider questions and storyline flags to watch
As the draw approaches, broader narrative threads to monitor include whether seven Premier League clubs could qualify for the Champions League and whether Italian clubs are on the brink of a historic Champions League embarrassment. Recent play-off form and the bracket assignments from Friday will determine how these storylines develop.
Recent updates indicate the draw will confirm the pairings and bracket on Friday at 11: 00 GMT; details may evolve after the draw is made on Friday, February 27.
