The group stage of the 2026 Champions League has concluded, remaining fiercely contested until the very end. Twenty-four teams qualified, while twelve were eliminated from the competition.
Starting with last season’s edition, the traditional group stage format has been changed to a single group. The top eight teams from each group advance directly to the Round of 16, while the teams finishing ninth through twentieth enter the play-offs.
UEFA has also introduced a significant change this season: the top four teams in each group cannot meet again until the semi-finals. Furthermore, all second-leg matches in the knockout rounds will be played at the home grounds of the top eight teams.
The play-offs for the Round of 16 in last season’s competition produced several exciting matchups, with some giants like Manchester City and AC Milan being eliminated early. The matchups are also determined by a draw.
Now that the eighth and final round of the group stage has concluded, we know which teams have qualified directly for the Round of 16, which teams will compete in the play-offs, the date of the play-off draw, and everything else you need to know about it.
Teams that qualified for the Round of 16 in the 2026 UEFA Champions League:
Arsenal
Bayern Munich
Liverpool
Tottenham Hotspur
Barcelona
Chelsea
Sporting Lisbon
Manchester City
Teams that qualified for the Round of 16 play-offs in the 2026 UEFA Champions League:
Real Madrid
Inter Milan
Paris Saint-Germain
Newcastle United
Juventus
Atletico Madrid
Atalanta
Bayer Leverkusen
Borussia Dortmund
Olympiacos
Club Brugge
Galatasaray
Monaco
Qarabag
Baudo/Glimt
Benfica
Draw for the Round of 16 play-offs in the 2026 UEFA Champions League
The draw for the Round of 16 play-offs in the 2026 UEFA Champions League will take place on Friday, January 30th in Nyon, Switzerland.
The draw ceremony will begin at 2:00 PM Mecca time, 1:00 PM Cairo time, and 12:00 PM North Africa time. The draw format for the 2026
UEFA Champions League Round of 16 play-offs
Teams ranked 9th to 24th will be divided into two groups: the seeded teams (ranked 9th to 16th) and the unseeded teams (ranked 17th to 24th).
The matches between the seeded and unseeded groups will be played in a predetermined order, with higher-ranked teams facing lower-ranked teams.
It’s worth noting that the play-off matches are played over two legs, with the seeded teams hosting the second leg. It is also possible for two teams from the same league to be drawn against each other in this round.
