Champions League: Premier League clubs to learn last-16 opponents in Friday's draw

Tuesday, 24 February 2026 22:14

The Champions League last-16 picture is becoming clearer ahead of Friday's draw.

Newcastle know they will face Chelsea or Barcelona after seeing off Qarabag in their playoff. They won 9-3 on aggregate.

Newcastle will also find out on Friday if Tottenham or Liverpool are potential quarter-final opponents and whether they are on course for a potential semi-final with Manchester City or Arsenal.

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Also on Tuesday night, Atletico Madrid set up a last-16 tie with either Tottenham or Liverpool.

Bodo/Glimt eliminated Inter Milan and will face either Manchester City or Sporting. Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen will play Bayern Munich or Arsenal.

What's decided on Wednesday...

On Wednesday, the names in the hat for the last-16 will be confirmed.

Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain hold a 3-2 lead before hosting Monaco, with the winner set to face Chelsea or Barcelona.

Galatasaray have a 5-2 advantage over Juventus for the chance to play Liverpool or Tottenham.

Real Madrid lead Benfica 1-0 and can set up a tie with Sporting or Manchester City.

And Borussia Dortmund will aim to capitalise on their 2-0 lead over Atalanta for the right to play Arsenal or Bayern Munich.

The Champions League tree - and when English sides could meet

At the start of the week, the English sides which progressed to the last 16 knew their opponents would be one of four sides. With the midweek play-offs concluding, that will be down to two for Friday's draw.

The earliest opportunity for two English sides to meet is in the last 16, when Newcastle could come up against Chelsea.

The earliest opportunity for any other all-English meetings is in the quarter-finals, when Manchester City could meet Arsenal and Chelsea or Newcastle could meet Tottenham or Liverpool.

Friday's draw - what you need to know

On Friday February 27, the draw for the last 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals will be made.

Follow live coverage of the draw on Friday on the Sky Sports website and app from 11am.

Teams can play opponents from their own country and opponents they have already faced in the competition.

However, the sides which didn't require a play-off will be seeded, meaning they get to play the second leg of their last-16 ties at home.

Arsenal - by virtue of topping the league phase standings - will get to play the second leg at home for as far as they progress in the competition.

When will fixture dates be announced?

The round of 16 match schedule will be available on Friday evening.

The quarter-final match schedule will be confirmed on March 19, while the semi-final schedule will be communicated on April 16.

When are the 2025/26 Champions League knockout stages?

Knockout play-offs: February 17-18 and 24-25
Round of 16 draw: February 27
Round of 16: March 10-11 and 17-18
Quarter-finals: April 7-8 and 14-15
Semi-finals: April 28-29 and May 5-6
Final: Saturday May 30

Where is the Champions League final?

The 2025/26 Champions League final will take place in Budapest at the Puskas Arena on Saturday May 30.

How many English teams could be in Champions League 26/27?

The Premier League is in an extremely strong position to have its top five clubs playing in the Champions League next season.

The top four sides qualify for the Champions League but an extra two places are awarded to clubs from countries whose teams have the best record in European club competitions this season.

England is currently at the top of UEFA's coefficient table and all its nine clubs are still in the three European competitions.

England's co-efficient at the moment is 21.513, 4.913 points ahead of third-placed Portugal who are on 16.600.

The coefficient is calculated by awarding points and dividing the total by the number of clubs each country has playing in Europe.

Each win is worth two points, there is one point for a draw and there are bonus points for progressing in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.

England were one of two countries who were awarded an extra slot last season, with Newcastle United getting a place in the Champions League after finishing fifth in the Premier League.

If English sides continue to do well in Europe this season, fifth place in the Premier League is almost certain to be rewarded with a Champions League place, which could be good news for clubs such as Aston Villa, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool.

Qualifying for the Champions League in its new expanded format means English clubs can expect to make tens of millions of pounds from playing in the 36-team league phase.

According to financial blogger Swiss Ramble, Manchester City and Liverpool have made £84m each so far this season, Arsenal £83m, Chelsea £80m and Spurs £73m.