The highly anticipated draw for the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League knockout phase is taking place today, Friday, February 27, 2026, at UEFA’s headquarters, the House of European Football, in Nyon, Switzerland. The ceremony, starting at 12:00 CET (11:00 GMT / 6:00 a.m. ET), will determine the Round of 16 matchups, as well as the potential paths through the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and to the final on May 30, 2026, at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary.

This draw follows the conclusion of the knockout phase play-offs (February 17–25, 2026), where eight winners advanced to join the top eight teams from the league phase. Seeded teams (top eight from league phase) include powerhouses such as Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting CP, and Manchester City. The unseeded sides are the play-off victors, setting up intriguing possible clashes.

Key highlights:

• The draw is single-ceremony for Round of 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals, meaning teams will know their potential opponents in subsequent rounds if they advance.
• No same-country restrictions apply in the Round of 16, but teams cannot face opponents from the same league phase group (if applicable).
• Round of 16 first legs: March 10–11, 2026; second legs: March 17–18, 2026.
• The event will be livestreamed on UEFA.com, the Champions League app, and various broadcasters like Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo, and others.

Fans worldwide are tuning in as several English clubs (Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham, Newcastle) and European giants learn their fates in Europe’s premier club competition.