UEFA’s Champions League Round of 16 draw has set the stage for compelling matchups, with Barcelona drawn to face Newcastle United, Real Madrid pitted against Manchester City for the fourth consecutive season, and defending champions Paris Saint-Germain taking on Chelsea. The draw, conducted Friday in Nyon, Switzerland, also revealed Tottenham Hotspur will play Atletico Madrid, and Arsenal will face Bayer Leverkusen.
The Barcelona-Newcastle tie sees the Spanish giants travel to St. James’ Park for the first leg on March 10, with a 20:00 GMT kickoff, according to UEFA. The return leg will be played at the Camp Nou on March 17 or 18.
The clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea is a repeat of the 2025 Club World Cup final, which Chelsea won 3-0. Real Madrid and Manchester City’s encounter marks the fourth straight season the two powerhouses will meet in the knockout stages of the Champions League. City previously eliminated Madrid in the last 16 last season, and in the 2023 semi-final en route to winning the competition. The two sides have played 15 times, with five wins apiece and five draws.
Elsewhere in the draw, Galatasaray will face Liverpool in a rematch of a league phase game won 1-0 by the Turkish side in Istanbul. Atalanta will play Bayern Munich, Sporting Lisbon will host Bodo/Glimt, and Bayer Leverkusen will take on Arsenal.
The first legs of the Round of 16 will be played on March 10 and 11, with the second legs scheduled for March 17 and 18. Teams who finished in the top eight of the league phase will host the second leg.
The potential quarterfinal matchups are: Paris Saint-Germain or Chelsea versus Liverpool or Galatasaray; Real Madrid or Manchester City versus Bayern Munich or Atalanta; Newcastle or Barcelona versus Tottenham or Atletico Madrid; and Sporting Lisbon or Bodo/Glimt versus Arsenal or Bayer Leverkusen.
The semifinal draw has paired Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Liverpool, or Galatasaray against Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, or Atalanta. The other semifinal will feature Newcastle, Barcelona, Tottenham, or Atletico Madrid against Sporting Lisbon, Bodo/Glimt, Arsenal, or Bayer Leverkusen.
The Champions League final is scheduled to be held in Budapest on May 30, 2026.
In the Europa League last 16, Ferencvaros will play Braga, Panathinaikos will face Real Betis, Genk will take on Freiburg, Celta Vigo will play Lyon, Stuttgart will face Porto, Nottingham Forest will play Midtjylland, Bologna will play Roma, and Lille will play Aston Villa.
The Conference League last 16 draw saw Lech Poznan drawn against Shakhtar, AZ Alkmaar against Sparta Praha, Crystal Palace against AEK Larnaca, Fiorentina against Rakow, Samsunspor against Rayo Vallecano, Celje against AEK Athens, Sigma Olomuc against Mainz, and Rijeka against Strasbourg.
