Europe’s football heavyweights are bracing themselves as the highly anticipated UEFA Champions League Round of 16 draw takes place today at the House of European Football.
With the grueling playoff round concluding this week, the final 16 teams have been confirmed, setting the stage for a blockbuster knockout phase.
Under UEFA’s revamped format, Friday’s draw will do more than just determine the Round of 16 pairings. It will map out the entire bracket for the remainder of the tournament, through the quarterfinals and semifinals, giving every club a crystal-clear view of their potential path to the grand final at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest on May 30, 2026.
The 16 remaining clubs are divided into two categories. The eight seeded teams, who secured automatic qualification by finishing in the top eight of the initial league phase, will enjoy the crucial advantage of hosting the second leg of their ties.
The seeded pot boasts a dominant Premier League presence, including Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur, alongside European giants Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and Sporting CP.
They will be drawn against the eight unseeded teams that successfully battled their way through this week’s knockout playoffs.
The unseeded pot is remarkably formidable and includes defending champions Real Madrid, French powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Atalanta, Galatasaray, Newcastle United, and the tournament’s ultimate surprise package, Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt.
Because of the predetermined pairing system established by league phase rankings, several mouth-watering permutations are already guaranteed.
Real Madrid, who edged past Benfica in the playoffs, could face a colossal showdown against either Manchester City or Sporting CP. Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain are set to draw either Barcelona or Chelsea.
For Newcastle United, who demolished Qarabağ 9-3 on aggregate in the playoffs, the draw presents a massive test as they will face either Barcelona or domestic rivals Chelsea. Magpies manager Eddie Howe is already embracing the challenge. Speaking to reporters ahead of the draw, Howe joked that he was simply glad his side wouldn’t have to face Manchester City next, adding:
“We are looking forward to what the draw brings and we will look forward to that game when it comes around.”
Should Newcastle be paired with Chelsea, the two sides would remarkably face each other three times in just eight days, with a Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge sandwiched between the two European legs.
Elsewhere, Liverpool or Tottenham will be tasked with navigating past either Atlético Madrid or Galatasaray, while Arsenal and Bayern Munich wait to see whether they will face Atalanta or Bayer Leverkusen.
Fans will not have to wait long for the elite European action to resume. The first legs of the Round of 16 will be played on March 10 and 11, with the unseeded teams hosting. The decisive return legs will take place a week later on March 17 and 18 at the stadiums of the seeded clubs.
As the balls are drawn from the bowls in Nyon today, the destiny of Europe’s biggest clubs will be decided in a ceremony that will finally chart the definitive course to Champions League glory.
