The Champions League 2025-26 Round of 16 is set after eight knockout playoff winners join the top eight teams in the League Phase, who have directly qualified to the stage. The directly qualified teams are seeded and paired according to their standings in the League Phase. They were drawn with the relevant knockout playoff winners determined by the draw for the previous stage. The seeded clubs will play the second leg at home and those at the bottom of the bracket will also have the same advantage in the quarterfinal and semifinal stages, respectively.
The directly qualified teams include Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting CP and Manchester City. Coming through the knockout playoffs are record winners Real Madrid, Newcastle, Atletico, Galatasaray, Bayer Leverkusen, Atalanta, debutants Bodo Glimt and holders PSG. The first leg of the Round of 16 ties will be played on the 10th, 11th and 12th of March 2026, while the return leg is scheduled on the 17th, 18th and 19th of March 2026.
Champions League 2025-26 Round of 16 Draw
PSG vs Chelsea
Be it Chelsea’s fruition in the quarterfinals in the 2013/14 season or PSG’s redemption in the Round of 16 in the subsequent seasons, these two have never failed at entertainment as they meet again in the competition nine years later at the same stage. The rivalry also took a new turn when the Blues became the first winners of the 32-team Club World Cup, defeating the indomitable Champions League holders 3-0 in the final. It is left to see what is in store when the two meet at Parc des Princes for the first leg.
Luis Enrique’s men will not have the advantage of playing at home in the second leg because they surprisingly were not among the teams to have qualified for the Round of 16 directly. Instead, they went through the knockout playoffs like the previous season, after finishing 11th in the League Phase table. It was a tough outing at that stage this time as they edged fellow Ligue 1 side AS Monaco 5-4 on aggregate, coming back from behind in both legs. However, it only adds to the side’s determination to find their best and advance to their 11th quarterfinal in the competition.
Despite not being promising every time, Chelsea still managed to secure an automatic berth to the last-16 in their return to the Champions League by finishing sixth in the League Phase table. The Premier League giants played under the departed Enzo Maresca for most of the campaign, with Liam Rosonier taking charge for only the final two League Phase games, which they won, helping them book their spot. As a case, the Blues will pose a different challenge, and with the second leg at Stamford Bridge, they will be confident of dampening the opposition’s dream of retaining the trophy.
Galatasaray vs Liverpool
Having played each other already in the League Phase this season, Galatasaray and Liverpool will lock horns once again in the Round of 16 stage this time. The Reds faced a difficult match at Rams Park last time, losing 1-0 in the second League Phase game due to a first-half penalty by Victor Osimhen, which highlighted a poor performance from the visitors. Although Arne Slot’s side has improved a little bit since that encounter and eventually finished third in the 36-team table, they will be wary of their record of not winning this fixture in any of their visits to Istanbul.
There are many reasons to worry about facing Gala at home, as they demonstrated against Juventus in the knockout playoffs by inflicting a 5-2 defeat on them and while the deficit was whipped out in 90 minutes of the return leg at Turin, two strikes in extra-time from Osimhen and Baris Yilmaz sealed their place in the last-16 stage. They advanced past a Champions League knockout round for the first time in 12 years and are now more motivated than ever to surprise another former competition winner.
Real Madrid vs Manchester City
Facing for the 12th and 13th time in the competition since the 2019-20 season and for the second time this edition, the two titans, Real Madrid and Manchester City, will face each other in the Round of 16 stage of the Champions League. This fixture has become all too familiar for both fraternity and neutrals, as this has become the most-played tie in the competition in recent years. Both are locked in head-to-head with five wins, but Los Blancos have registered more victories at Santiago Bernabeu, which will be an advantage for the first leg.
Alvaro Arbeloa’s side had to navigate through the knockout playoffs to reach the last-16, seeking revenge against Benfica for their defeat in the final League Phase game that denied them direct entry with a 3-1 aggregate victory. However, the win was also a response to the unfortunate racist incident involving their Brazilian star, Vinicius Jr. The record winners will now want to produce a strong performance at home in this stage to be in an advantageous position, but that said, they lost to City in the League Phase encounter in the Spanish capital, albeit the side was managed by Xabi Alonso back then.
Manchester City’s League Phase campaign was also not straightforward either, as that win against Madrid came in between two defeats, but a 2-0 win against Galatasaray in the final League Phase game and favourable results elsewhere did enough to help them to take the final automatic last-16 spot in the table, avoiding the playoffs. Pep Guardiola’s side has found their mojo back lately with their winter arrivals and will be confident in the tie. However, they were eliminated in the last two seasons by the same opponents, so they will be wary.
Atalanta vs Bayern Munich
Atalanta crafted one of the most sensational comeback stories in the competition when they overturned a 2-0 deficit from the first leg against Borussia Dortmund to clinch a 4-1 victory at Bergamo, 4-3 on aggregate, with the clincher coming from in the eighth minute of a stoppage time in the form of a Lazar Samardzic’s penalty. They became the first team since Liverpool in 2018-19 to win from at least two goals behind from the first leg and only the third Italian side to progress in this manner. La Dea is the only Serie A side left in the competition after a dismal showing from the league’s teams in the competition. However, their survival is called into question as they face another German team, one that is more fierce, in the Round of 16 stage.
One of the most entertaining sides this season and certainly one of the top favourites to win the competition, Bayern Munich dominated the League Phase stage and finished only behind Arsenal in the table with seven wins and 22 goals scored. Some of those victories came against top sides, including the holders, PSG, showing the German giants are not messing around. Vincent Kompany’s men have almost wrapped up the domestic title, so their full focus will be on lifting their seventh Champions League honour, with the last-16 stage providing the easiest challenge on paper in the knockout stage. Bayern will play Atalanta for the first time in the competition, having progressed from the last three ties against Italian opponents at this stage.
Newcastle United vs Barcelona
Another League Phase matchup that will have a rematch in the Round of 16 stage is Newcastle United, trying their luck against five-time winners Barcelona again. The Magpies lost that encounter, which was also their competition opener, 2-1, but managed to secure a knockout playoff spot with some commendable results, like registering big wins against PSV and Benfica and playing a 1-1 draw with the holders to get their place in the next round. That momentum carried into the playoffs as they demolished Qarabag 6-1 in the first leg and while the Azerbaijani side made it harder in the second leg, Eddie Howe’s men still clinched a 3-2 win, 9-3 on aggregate. With their domestic form faltering, Europe is the only option for them to shine.
However, they will confront one of the lethal strike forces in the form of Barcelona, who can make a meal of any opponents on their day if the attack fires on all cylinders. Yet, Hansi Flick’s side is not the stomping machine like last season, largely due to their defensive fragilities at the back, which also left them huffing and puffing to get one of the automatic spots in the Round of 16. Still, the Catalan giants finished fifth in the League Phase table, a point better than dropping into a knockout playoff spot, registering five wins from eight games. They are the favourites for the last-16 tie anyway, having beaten their opponents earlier in the campaign and also regaining some form lately.
Atletico Madrid vs Tottenham
Atletico Madrid finished 14th in the 36-team table after an inconsistent League Phase and also faced a tricky opposition in Club Brugge in the knockout playoffs. Despite leading the Belgian side three times in the first leg, they could only play out a 3-3 draw at Brussels. However, Diego Simeone’s side turned up the gear when it mattered as an Alexander Sorloth hat-trick helped them clinch a 4-1 victory in the return leg at home, securing a 7-4 aggregate win, to progress to the last-16 stage. The three-time finalists have home advantage in the first leg now as they welcome Spurs, aiming to continue their journey to the quarterfinal. Atletico also haven’t lost a single home game in the Champions League knockout stages under their miraculous boss, so they will want a solid start in the tie.
This fixture is a repeat of the now-defunct tournament, the 1963 UEFA European Cup Winners' Cup, in which Tottenham prevailed 5-1 against the defending champions Atletico to become the first English side to win a European crown of any sort. However, repeating such a feat could prove to be a difficult task for the Europa League holders, who are struggling massively with poor forṁ and just hovering above the relegation zone. They also had a transition from Thomas Frank to Igor Tudor, with no desired effect and issues piling up with the squad. Yet, Spurs somehow remain almost flawless in the Champions League after finishing as high as fourth in the League Phase and securing direct last-16 qualification. This competition is their only shot at redemption.
Bodo Glimt vs Sporting CP
This season’s surprise package, Bodo Glimt, continues to punch above their weight as, after beating Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in the final two League Phase games, having not won a single game before, they have now beaten last season’s finalists Inter over two legs in the knockout playoffs to progress to the last-16 all in their debut season in the competition. Bodo became the first Norwegian team to progress from a two-legged knockout tie since 1987/88 and broke several other records, making them the side to avoid. They will hope now their sensational fairytale run lasts for long as they now have their eyes on the last eight, having drawn with Portuguese champions Sporting CP in the Round of 16.
The Lisbon-based side also created a stir after finishing ahead of some competition heavyweights in the direct Round of 16 places in the League Phase. They even stunned the holders, PSG, at home and suffered just two losses in an impressive campaign while sealing their berth with a dramatic 3-2 victory against Athletic Club in the final game of the last round. The Lions now face the headline-making Bodo Glimt, with the first leg being the daunting trip to Norway in the second week of March. However, Sporting CP’s track record proves they also carry a fear element as they won every game in Europe at home this season, which will be a massive record to count on in the second leg.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Arsenal
The final last-16 tie will see Bayer Leverkusen lock horns with League Phase’s table toppers, Arsenal. Despite not being convincing every time, Kasper Hjulmand’s side managed to finish 16th in the 36-team table to secure a knockout playoff spot, which also includes a victory at Etihad against Manchester City. The 2002 Champions League runners-up defeated Olympiacos in the playoffs, taking revenge for their League Phase defeat against the Greek giants to qualify for the Round of 16. However, the real test begins now for the Bundesliga outfit at this stage as they hope for a miracle to stop a side gunning for a sensational quadruple this season.
Arsenal became the first side to complete a cent-per-cent record in a League Phase campaign, winning all eight available games and topping the table with a three-point difference over second-placed Bayern Munich, whom they also beat at this stage. The Gunners showed no mercy to their opponents, scoring a season high 23 goals while showing unreal solidity at the same time by conceding merely four goals. Mikel Arteta’s side is competing hard to clinch their first Premier League title in 22 years, but they will have an eye on the only trophy missing from their cabinet that they came so close to winning in 2006 to crown a memorable season.
Champions League 2025-26 Round of 16 Fixtures
First Leg
Tuesday, 10 March 2026
Galatasaray vs Liverpool - Rams Park Stadium, Istanbul (23:15)
Wednesday, 11 March 2026
Atalanta vs Bayern Munich - Stadio di Bergamo, Bergamo (01:30)
Newcastle United vs Barcelona - St James' Park, Newcastle (01:30)
Atlético Madrid vs Tottenham Hotspur - Estadio Metropolitano, Madrid (01:30)
Bayer Leverkusen vs Arsenal - BayArena, Leverkusen (23:15)
Thursday, 12 March 2026
PSG vs Chelsea - Parc des Princes, Paris (01:30)
Real Madrid vs Manchester City - Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid (01:30)
Bodo Glimt vs Sporting CP - Aspmyra Stadion, Bodø (01:30)
Second Leg
Tuesday 17 March 2026
Sporting CP vs Bodo Glimt - Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon (23:15)
Wednesday 18 March 2026
Chelsea vs PSG - Stamford Bridge, London (01:30)
Manchester City vs Real Madrid - Etihad Stadium, Manchester (01:30)
Arsenal vs Bayer Leverkusen - Emirates Stadium, London (01:30)
Barcelona vs Newcastle United - Camp Nou, Barcelona (23:15)
Thursday 19 March 2026
Liverpool vs Galatasaray - Anfield, Liverpool (01:30)
Bayern Munich vs Atalanta - Allianz Arena, Munich (01:30)
Tottenham Hotspur vs Atlético Madrid - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London (01:30)
