Champions League Round of 16 Showdown: Everything You Need to Know About the 2025-26 Knockout Stage
The battle for European supremacy advances in the Champions League last 16, where recently successful playoff squads will face off against the top eight teams from the league stage.
While the newly expanded league format brought excitement, the real Champions League magic begins during the knockout rounds. The playoff stage provided supporters with dramatic moments as defending champions Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid secured their spots in the round of 16, whereas Inter and Borussia Dortmund were eliminated from the tournament.
Teams like Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Barcelona now wait in the upcoming round, setting up potentially spectacular encounters on the path to the quarterfinals. Just eight squads will advance past the round of 16 and maintain their European dreams.
Here's all the essential information about the next stage of Europe's top club tournament.
2025–26 Champions League Round of 16: Dates
2025–26 Champions League Round of 16: Dates
The Champions League round of 16 will commence during March's second week. The return legs will then take place one week afterward, right before club competitions pause for the year's first international break.
Here's the timeline for the tournament's next phase:
The complete fixture list will be announced in the upcoming days, following the round of 16 draw on Friday, Feb. 27.
2025–26 Champions League Round of 16: Format
2025–26 Champions League Round of 16: Format
The regulations for the round of 16—and the entire Champions League knockout phase—remain largely unchanged despite the tournament's expanded structure introduced in the previous season.
Advancing teams will compete in a two-leg fixture, where the side with the superior combined score after both matches will progress to the quarterfinals. Should the aggregate be tied, extra time and possibly a penalty shootout will decide which team continues to the following round.
The former away goals rule remains abolished. Yellow card accumulations continue to matter, meaning players receiving their third caution of the competition will face a one-match suspension.
The only relatively recent adjustment to the structure involves the tournament's seeding system. Similar to last season, the leading eight clubs from the league phase receive seeding for the round of 16, granting them the benefit of hosting the second leg at home.
2025–26 Champions League Round of 16: Teams
2025–26 Champions League Round of 16: Teams
With the knockout phase playoffs concluded, the Champions League elimination rounds are ready to commence properly. From the initial 36 clubs that participated in the league stage, just 16 survive in the competition.
Here are the sides still competing for club football's most coveted prize:
*Galatasary and Juventus are presently in extra time, with the Turkish side leading 6–5 on aggregate.
The clubs will discover their round of 16 opponents when the Champions League draw takes place on Friday, Feb. 27.