Round of 16 Draw for the Champions League 24/25: When it is, qualified teams, and possible matchups

Published:20/02/2025 - 04:38h

Updated:21/02/2025 - 13:10h

When is the draw? Which teams are participating? When are the matches? Everything you need to know about the round of 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals draw for the UEFA Champions League 2024/25.

The round of 16 draw for the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 will take place on Friday, February 21 at 12:00 HEC in Nyon (Switzerland). The eight best teams from the league phase (qualified directly) and the eight teams that won the playoffs will be paired to face each other in the two-legged knockout round of the UEFA Champions League. The draw will also define the path to the final, establishing the matchups for the quarter-finals and semi-finals.

Champions League Draw: date, time, where to watch live, qualified teams, possible matchups, draw rules, and dates for all matches in the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final.

When is the round of 16 draw for the Champions League?

The draw to define the matchups in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 will be held on Friday, February 21 at 12:00 HEC in Nyon, Switzerland. This event will mark the start of the knockout phase, where the best clubs in Europe will fight to advance to the final.

🗓️ Date: Friday, February 21, 2025
⏰ Time: 12:00 PM (HEC)

Where to watch the round of 16 draw live?

The draw for the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 can be followed live online. Make sure you don't miss any details of this exciting event that defines the upcoming phases of the most prestigious club tournament in Europe.

For those who wish to watch the draw live, they can do so through:

💻 Where to watch on TV and streaming: UEFA.com (streaming available with access from your mobile, tablet, computer, or Smart TV).

Which teams are in the round of 16 of the Champions League?

The 16 teams qualified for the round of 16

The eight winning teams from the playoff round will join the eight best teams from the league phase in the round of 16 draw. The top eight teams from the league phase will be seeded in the draw and will play their second-leg matches at home. Of the 16 clubs qualified for the round of 16, there are representatives from eight European leagues and national federations.

Teams qualified for the round of 16 of the Champions League

Direct access to the round of 16:

Liverpool (ENG)
FC Barcelona (ESP)
Arsenal (ENG)
Inter (ITA)
Atlético Madrid (ESP)
Bayer Leverkusen (GER)
Lille (FRA)
Aston Villa (ENG)

Access to the round of 16 via playoffs:

Feyenoord (NED)
Bruges (BEL)
Benfica (POR)
Bayern Munich (GER)
Borussia Dortmund (GER)
PSV Eindhoven (NED)
PSG (FRA)
Real Madrid (ESP)

Nine teams repeat qualification for the round of 16 of the Champions League, having been there last season and will also be in this one. And seven new teams have qualified, replacing seven others that will not be in this edition.

The repeaters:

FC Barcelona (ESP)
Atlético Madrid (ESP)
Real Madrid (ESP)
Borussia Dortmund (GER)
Bayern Munich (GER)
PSG (FRA)
Arsenal (ENG)
Inter (ITA)
PSV Eindhoven (NED)

The newcomers:

Liverpool (ENG)
Benfica (POR)
Bayer Leverkusen (GER)
Aston Villa (ENG)
Lille (FRA)
Feyenoord (NED)
Bruges (BEL)

The absentees:

Manchester City (ENG)
Porto (POR)
Leipzig (GER)
Real Sociedad (ESP)
Napoli (ITA)
Lazio (ITA)
Copenhagen (DEN)

Possible matchups in the round of 16 of the Champions League

The possible opponents in the round of 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals of the Champions League 24/25 are predefined by matchups determined by the final positions of the teams in the league phase. For example, the teams that finished first and second in the league phase will face the winners of the knockout playoffs that mediate the teams qualified in positions 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th; the teams that finished third or fourth will face the winners of the knockout playoffs that mediate the teams qualified in positions 13th, 14th, 19th, and 20th, and so on.

Potential matchups for the round of 16

FC Barcelona / Liverpool VS Benfica / PSG
Lille / Aston Villa VS Bruges / Dortmund
Inter / Arsenal VS Feyenoord / PSV
Atlético / Leverkusen VS Bayern / Real Madrid

How does the round of 16 draw for the Champions League work?

Champions League matchups 2024 25

The clubs are paired based on their positions at the end of the league phase to form four pairs of seeded teams (clubs in positions 1 and 2, 3 and 4, 5 and 6, 7 and 8). The clubs from each pair of seeded teams face one of the two positions in the round of 16 against the corresponding winner of the knockout playoffs, whose position was determined in the draw for the knockout playoffs.

Four pots are prepared for the draw, and the balls containing the names of each pair of seeded teams are placed in the corresponding pots marked according to the league phase standings. The draw assigns the side of the bracket to all seeded teams, starting with the teams qualified 7/8 and ending with the teams 1/2. A ball is drawn from the pot containing the two corresponding teams (i.e., the teams qualified in positions 7 and 8) and opened to reveal the team.

The first team drawn from this pot is placed in the reserved spot on the silver side of the bracket. Next, the other seeded team from the pair is drawn and assigned to the corresponding reserved spot on the blue side of the bracket. The same process is followed with the other seeded teams. In principle, the seeded teams play the second leg at home.

How does the quarter-finals draw for the Champions League work?

The order of the quarter-finals and semi-finals matches is also determined by this draw, and there will be no subsequent draws, as was the case in the previous format. The system prioritizes that the best-ranked teams from the league phase face the worst-performing ones. Thus, the first and second teams in the league phase will only meet in the final.

How does the semi-finals draw for the Champions League work?

Two pots are prepared for this draw, one for the silver side of the bracket with balls containing papers marked as 'Winners Q-F 1' and 'Winners Q-F 2', and another for the blue side of the bracket containing 'Winners Q-F 3' and 'Winners Q-F 4'. The draw begins by mixing and drawing the balls placed in the pot for the silver side of the bracket. The first ball drawn indicates the team that will play the first match of the semi-final on the silver side at home, and the second ball the team that will play the second leg at home. The procedure is repeated with the remaining pot to complete the semi-finals matchups.

Is there also a draw for the final of the Champions League?

Since the teams were assigned to one side of the bracket by the draw of the knockout playoffs/round of 16, there is no draw for the final. The winner of the semi-final on the silver side of the bracket is designated as the nominal home team in the final.

Can teams from the same country face each other in the round of 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals of the Champions League?

Yes, clubs can face rivals from the same national federation and teams they have previously faced in the league phase.

When are the round of 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals of the Champions League played?

Champions League 2024/25 schedule

The dates for the matches in the knockout phases of the round of 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals of the Champions League 2024/25 are as follows: