The Champions League knockout stage is nearly here. With the play-off second legs wrapping up this week, attention is shifting fast toward Friday’s draw — a ceremony that will not just determine the round of 16 matchups but map out the entire path to the final. It is one of the most consequential moments of the European football calendar, and this year’s format makes it more compelling than ever. Here is everything to know before the bracket is set.
The Draw Date, Time and Location
1. Date and time The round of 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals draw is scheduled for Friday, February 27, 2026. The ceremony kicks off at 11 a.m. GMT at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, and is expected to run approximately 30 minutes.
2. The 8 automatic qualifiers Eight clubs secured their round of 16 spots by finishing in the top eight of the league phase. The confirmed seeded sides are Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting CP, and Manchester City. None of these teams will face each other in the last 16.
3. The play-off winners still to come The remaining eight spots belong to the winners of the knockout play-offs, with second legs concluding Tuesday and Wednesday this week. Notable sides still fighting for their place include Real Madrid, PSG, Juventus, Inter Milan, and Newcastle United.
How the Champions League Seeding Works
4. How seeding works The eight automatic qualifiers are seeded for the draw, meaning each will be paired against one of the eight play-off winners. This ensures the highest-ranked clubs are distributed evenly across the bracket rather than clustering in one half.
5. The full bracket is set on Friday Friday’s draw goes far beyond the round of 16. Once the bracket is locked in, every team will know their potential opponents all the way through the quarter-finals and semi-finals — eliminating the need for separate draws at each subsequent stage. It is a significant and exciting feature of the Champions League‘s revamped format.
No Same-Country Protection This Year
6. No same-country protection In a departure from previous formats, there is no same-country protection in the knockout rounds. Premier League clubs can be drawn against one another, and teams that already faced each other during the league phase are not shielded from a rematch. It adds a thrilling layer of unpredictability to an already loaded draw.
How to Watch the Champions League Draw
7. How to watch on TV In the United Kingdom, the draw will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1, with approximately 30 minutes of coverage. Subscribers can also stream it through the discovery+ app or website.
8. Free streaming options available Fans without a TNT Sports or discovery+ subscription are not out of luck. UEFA is expected to stream the draw live on uefa.com, with additional free streams available on both the official UEFA YouTube channel and the TNT Sports YouTube channel — making it accessible to football fans worldwide at no cost.
