Champions League Draw sets stage for last-16 ties and potential all-English clashes
The Champions League Draw will take place on Friday, February 27 at 11: 00 GMT (6: 00 a. m. ET), when 16 teams discover their last-16 opponents and the bracket that will determine quarter-final, semi-final and final paths.
Champions League Draw: what the last-16 could look like
Sixteen teams go into the Friday draw after Newcastle joined Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur in the last 16 following a 9-3 aggregate win over Qarabag in the play-off round. The eight winners of the two-legged knockout phase play-offs will meet the top-eight finishers from the league phase in the draw.
Confirmed results that fixed several possible opponents
Several midweek outcomes have already locked in specific possibilities. Atletico Madrid completed a 7-4 aggregate victory over Club Brugge and are confirmed as one of Liverpool's two possible opponents, while Galatasaray hold a 5-2 advantage over Juventus after the first leg in Istanbul and could provide Liverpool's other rival. Paris Saint-Germain lead Monaco 3-2 before hosting the return leg, Real Madrid lead Benfica 1-0, and Borussia Dortmund lead Atalanta 2-0. Bodo/Glimt eliminated Inter Milan and will face either Manchester City or Sporting; Bayer Leverkusen will play Bayern Munich or Arsenal.
English clubs and their potential opponents
At the start of the week, the English sides that progressed to the last 16 knew their opponents would be one of four teams; with the midweek play-offs concluding, that list has narrowed to two for Friday's draw. The earliest opportunity for two English sides to meet is in the last 16, when Newcastle could come up against Chelsea, and the draw on Friday will also determine whether other all-English meetings could emerge later in the bracket.
- Arsenal: Bayer Leverkusen or Borussia Dortmund/Atalanta
- Chelsea: Newcastle or Monaco/PSG
- Liverpool: Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray/Juventus
- Man City: Bodo/Glimt or Benfica/Real Madrid
- Newcastle: Chelsea or Barcelona
- Tottenham: Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray/Juventus
Seedings, bracket mechanics and match dates
Friday's draw will allocate a side of the bracket for all teams, meaning clubs will immediately know who they could potentially meet in the quarter-final, semi-final and final. From this point onward the competition adopts a knockout format, with each fixture other than the final contested over two legs. As with the play-offs, teams' final ranking in the league phase will influence seeding in the last 16: seeded sides — those that finished in the top eight of the league phase — are given the advantage of playing second legs at home.
This is the first season that league-phase position will also influence 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 given the home advantage in their quarter-final tie second legs. The two sides who finish top and runner-up in the league will also be seeded for the semi-finals, earning them 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.
When ties are scheduled and what comes next
On Wednesday, the names in the hat for the last-16 will be confirmed ahead of the draw. The draw on Friday, February 27 from 11: 00 GMT (6: 00 a. m. ET) will make the pairings for the last 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals. 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.
Friday's draw will confirm Liverpool's opponent — Atletico Madrid is already set as one possible rival after their 7-4 aggregate win over Club Brugge — and will finalise the paths for Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham and Newcastle as the competition moves fully into knockout mode.
