Europa League Round of 16 Showdown: Everything You Need to Know About the 2025-26 Knockout Stage
Just 16 clubs continue their quest for the 2025–26 Europa League title and a guaranteed spot in next season's Champions League.
Following an exciting league phase, the top eight sides in Europe's second-tier club tournament secured direct qualification to the round of 16, bypassing the uncertain knockout phase playoffs.
Teams finishing between ninth and 24th weren't as fortunate, needing to battle to preserve their Europa League aspirations. An intense series of matches took place on the final Thursday of February, featuring everything from spectacular goals to dismissals to penalty shootouts as eight winners earned their spots in the final 16, where the real excitement commences.
Here's all the essential information about the upcoming stage of the tournament.
2025–26 Europa League Round of 16: Schedule
2025–26 Europa League Round of 16: Schedule
The Europa League round of 16 begins in the second week of March, following the opening legs of the Champions League round of 16. The return legs take place one week afterward, shortly before the first international break of the calendar year.
Here's the timeline for the next phase of the tournament:
The complete fixture list will be announced soon after the round of 16 draw takes place on Friday, Feb. 27.
2025–26 Europa League Round of 16: Structure
2025–26 Europa League Round of 16: Structure
The key question about whether teams from the same domestic league can meet in the round of 16 has a straightforward answer: absolutely. Clubs may also be drawn against opponents they previously encountered during the league phase.
Similar to the knockout phase playoffs, each round of 16 matchup features two legs, with the higher-seeded club enjoying home advantage for the decisive second leg. The team with the superior aggregate score after both matches will advance to the quarterfinals.
The previous away goals rule no longer serves as a tiebreaker. Should a matchup remain tied after 180 minutes across both encounters, extra time and possibly a penalty shootout will decide which team progresses and which faces elimination.
Yellow card accumulation remains crucial to monitor. Suspensions continue to be enforced, meaning players collecting their third caution of the competition will serve a one-match suspension. If that booking occurs during the second leg of the round of 16, the offending player will miss the opening leg of the quarterfinals—assuming their team advances.
2025–26 Europa League Round of 16: Qualified Clubs
2025–26 Europa League Round of 16: Qualified Clubs
With the knockout phase playoffs concluded, the final 16 contenders for the Europa League championship are confirmed. Alongside the top eight teams that earned automatic qualification, eight additional clubs officially progressed on Thursday.
Here are the sides preparing to compete in the upcoming round of the tournament:
*Four fixtures remain ongoing, with those winners completing the final 16.
The clubs will discover their round of 16 opponents when the draw ceremony occurs on Friday, Feb. 27.