After a thrilling conclusion to the playoff round of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League, which saw the likes of Internazionale and Juventus tumble out of the competition, the round of 16 is underway and full of exciting matchups.
Here's everything you need to know about the next Champions League rounds.
Which clubs are still in the competition?
The top eight finishers in the league phase went straight through to the round of 16 and were seeded for the draw. These teams were paired based on their final position in the league phase.
Seeded teams (top eight in league phase):
Arsenal
Bayern Munich
Liverpool
Tottenham
Barcelona
Chelsea
Sporting CP
Manchester City
Unseeded teams (knockout playoff round winners):
Real Madrid
Paris Saint-Germain
Newcastle United
Atletico Madrid
Atalanta
Bayer Leverkusen
Galatasaray
Bodø/Glimt
What are the matchups?
Round-of-16 ties:
March 10
Galatasaray vs. Liverpool (1:45 p.m. ET, 5:45 p.m. GMT)
Atalanta vs. Bayern Munich (4 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. GMT)
Atlético Madrid vs. Tottenham (4 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. GMT)
Newcastle United vs. Barcelona (4 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. GMT)
March 11
Bayer Leverkusen vs. Arsenal (1:45 p.m. ET, 5:45 p.m. GMT)
Real Madrid vs. Man City (4 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. GMT)
Bodø/Glimt vs. Sporting CP (4 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. GMT)
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Chelsea (4 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. GMT)
March 17
Sporting CP vs. Bodø/Glimt (1:45 p.m. ET, 5:45 p.m. GMT)
Arsenal vs. Bayer Leverkusen (4 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. GMT)
Chelsea vs. Paris Saint-Germain (4 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. GMT)
Man City vs. Real Madrid (4 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. GMT)
March 18
Barcelona vs. Newcastle United (1:45 p.m. ET, 5:45 p.m. GMT)
Bayern Munich vs. Atalanta (4 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. GMT)
Liverpool vs. Galatasaray (4 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. GMT)
Tottenham vs. Atlético Madrid (4 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. GMT)
What does the bracket look like?
The bracket is now finalized, which means we know each team's path through to the quarterfinals, semifinals and final.
Here is how it looks:
How is the bracket shaping up?
The bottom half of the bracket (coined the Blue Path by UEFA) has broken nicely for Arsenal, who will be heavily favored in any matchup until at least the semifinals. Barcelona could await there, but if the Blaugrana slip up beforehand, Arsenal's road to the final in Budapest appears fairly clear.
The top half (aka the Silver Path), meanwhile, is packed with heavyweight clubs. Manchester City and Real Madrid meet in the Champions League knockouts for the fifth straight season. Only one of PSG, Chelsea and Liverpool can make the semifinals. And that's before getting to the highest seed -- Bayern Munich, who won seven of eight matches in a dominant league phase.
Once again, we're poised for a thrilling conclusion to the knockout rounds.
Why did it matter where teams finished in the league phase table?
Last season provided a notable example of how the new system can make a huge impact.
Manchester City didn't qualify for the knockouts until the final day of the league phase, and their 22nd-place finish meant they had to compete in the knockout playoff round. As an unseeded team, they were drawn against seeded Real Madrid, who won 6-3 over two legs.
On the flip side, PSG seemed unaffected by the extra round of matches, rolling past Brest in the playoffs and all the way to the title.
This year, top finishers such as Arsenal and Bayern Munich benefited by avoiding fellow European giants Real Madrid and PSG in the round of 16.