When Is The Champions League Draw: Timing, Liverpool’s Opponents and the New Seeding Rules

The question when is the champions league draw is being answered this week as 16 teams prepare to learn their last-16 opponents at a draw set for Friday at 11: 00 GMT. The timing matters because the draw will not only pair teams for the last 16 but also place every side on a bracket that defines potential quarter-final, semi-final and final opponents.

When Is The Champions League Draw: time, bracket and immediate outcomes

The draw takes place on Friday at 11: 00 GMT and will include the eight sides that finished in the top eight of the league phase together with the eight winners of the two-legged knockout phase play-offs. Beyond assigning last-16 ties, the draw will allocate a side of the tournament bracket for every team so clubs will immediately know who they could meet in the quarter-final, semi-final and final.

Liverpool: two possible last-16 opponents confirmed

Liverpool will be drawn against either Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray. Galatasaray emerged as the winners of their two-legged knockout play-off tie with Juventus on Wednesday night, while Atletico secured their Round of 16 place by overcoming Club Brugge on aggregate on Tuesday evening. Liverpool progressed from the league phase as a seeded qualifier in third place and so will be paired with one of those two clubs during Friday’s draw.

Match dates: first legs, return ties and Anfield schedule

Last-16 first legs are scheduled for either 10 or 11 March, with the reverse fixtures set for 17-18 March. Liverpool’s first leg will fall on one of the March 10/11 dates, with the return fixture to be played at Anfield on March 17/18.

Arsenal, Newcastle and other clubs already in the hat

Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur were already guaranteed places in the last 16 before the play-offs concluded. Newcastle joined those five after a 9-3 aggregate win over Qarabag in the play-off round. Top seeds Arsenal are lined up to face either Bayer Leverkusen or Atalanta.

Format and seeding: how league-phase position changes the knockout path

From the last-16 stage the competition adopts a knockout format with every tie other than the final contested over two legs. Teams' final positions in the league phase determine seeding for the last 16: the top eight finishers are seeded and will play the second legs of their last-16 ties at home. For the first time, league-phase placings also affect 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 thus have the home advantage in the second leg of that round. The two sides who finish top and runner-up in the league will be seeded for the semi-finals and would play the second leg of their semis at home should they reach that stage. If a seeded team fails to progress to the quarter-finals or semi-finals, the team that eliminates them will inherit their seeding position.

The draw’s outcomes and these seeding rules create a direct cause-and-effect path: league-phase rankings now shape not just the immediate last-16 pairing but also the expected venue advantages throughout the knockout phase, altering strategic incentives for clubs as they approach both the draw and the ties themselves. The broader implication is that finishing higher in the league phase grants a cascading advantage that can shape a club’s route deep into the tournament.

Puskas Arena and the season timeline beyond the last 16

Looking beyond the knockouts, the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary is scheduled to host the 2025-26 final on 30 May. With the last-16 ties set for March and the bracket now being formed on Friday, clubs will be able to map potential routes to that final as soon as the draw is complete.

The draw answers when is the champions league draw and sets the next calendar of fixtures and opponents, folding in recent play-off outcomes such as Galatasaray’s victory over Juventus, Atletico’s aggregate win over Club Brugge, and Newcastle’s 9-3 play-off triumph over Qarabag.