When is the Champions League last 16 draw? Date, format, seeding explained

Al JazeeraCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by Al Jazeera StaffFebruary 26, 2026 at 10:51 AM

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The UEFA Champions League last 16 draw will take place on Friday, February 27, 2026, at 11:00 GMT in Nyon, Switzerland. The draw determines the matchups for the last 16, quarterfinal, and semi-final stages. Eight teams that finished top of their league stage group, including Arsenal and Manchester City, will be drawn against the eight playoff winners, such as Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. Teams from the same nation cannot be drawn against each other at this stage. The first legs of the last 16 ties are scheduled for March 10-11, with the second legs on March 17-18. The draw will map out each team's potential route to the final.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Benfica 40% Vinicius Junior 40% Arsenal 50% Bayern Munich 50% Barcelona 50% Switzerland 60% Nyon 60% Atletico Madrid ×270% Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) ×375% Real Madrid ×380% UEFA ×290% Champions League ×295%

Keywords

champions league 100% last 16 draw 90% uefa 70% knockout format 60% semifinals 50% quarterfinals 50% seeding 50% playoff round 40% european football 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Neutral

Score: 0.10

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Source

Al Jazeera

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Nyon

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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