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The UEFA Champions League 2025-26 league stage and play-offs have concluded.
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The 16 teams for the Round of 16 are now confirmed.
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The draw will take place on February 27.
The play-offs for the UEFA Champions League 2025-26 are complete, confirming the 8 teams that will join the 8 automatically qualified teams for the Round of 16. Exciting matches are on the horizon for the season.
After months of competition in the new 36-team format, the final 16 teams are ready. Expectations were challenged, with a mix of familiar teams and surprises.
While Arsenal and Bayern Munich easily progressed through the league phase, traditional powerhouses like Real Madrid and last year’s champions PSG had to fight harder to stay in the tournament. A standout moment was Bodo/Glimt eliminating Inter Milan.
UEFA Champions League 2025-26: League Stage
The second year of the “Swiss Model” featured 36 teams in a single league table. The top eight teams qualified directly, and the bottom eight were eliminated. The remaining teams faced a play-off to determine the final 16, with every goal in the 144 matches affecting team standings.
Arsenal made history as the first team to win all 8 League Phase matches, finishing first with 24 points. Bayern Munich came in second, their only loss being to Arsenal.
Tottenham Hotspur was a surprise, performing well in Europe despite sitting 16th in the Premier League at the time, finishing above teams like Real Madrid and PSG.
The teams avoiding play-offs include Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting CP, and Manchester City.
UEFA Champions League 2025-26: Play-Offs
Teams ranked 9th to 24th in the league stage participated in a two-legged knockout round. Several prominent teams were eliminated.
Bodo/Glimt defeated Inter Milan (5-2 on aggregate), making history as the first Norwegian club to reach a UCL knockout round after winning both legs.
Juventus faced Galatasaray in a tight match. After losing 5-2 in the first leg, Juventus won the second leg 3-2, but Galatasaray advanced with a late goal, finishing 7-5 on aggregate.
Real Madrid overcame Benfica (3-1 on aggregate), despite an injury to Kylian Mbappe. Newcastle United won impressively against Qarabag, finishing 9-3 on aggregate. PSG narrowly beat Monaco (5-4 on aggregate) in a close all-French match decided by a last-minute goal.
UEFA Champions League 2025-26: Qualified Teams For Round Of 16
Seeded (Top 8)
Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting CP, Manchester City
Play-Off Winners (Unseeded)
Real Madrid, PSG, Newcastle United, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta, Bayer Leverkusen, Galatasaray, Bodo/Glimt
UEFA Champions League 2025-26: When Is Round of 16 Draw?
The official draw for the Round of 16 will take place on Friday, February 27, 2026, at 4:30 PM IST in Nyon. The seeded teams will face the unseeded play-off winners, with the seeded teams hosting the second leg.