UEFA Champions League 2024/25: When, where and format of the Round of 16 draw

With the new Swiss model in play and after the playoffs for the knockout stages, the remaining 16 teams of the competition are all set to go roaring again in a bid to lay their hands on the most coveted title of Europe, the UEFA Champions League. While the group stage saw the likes of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Paris St Germain, and Manchester City not qualifying automatically for the Round of 16, it also saw the likes of Lille advancing to the Round of 16. 

In the playoffs, Real Madrid, PSG, and Bayern Munich did not slip up and lived up to their tag of being heavyweights and favorites whereas Juventus and AC Milan bowed out of the campaign on the aggregate score. After the playoffs, three German, three Dutch, three English, three Spanish, two French, and one Italian & Belgian outfit are ready to take on the opposition in the continental showdown. 

When and where is the Champions League Round of 16 draw happening? Where can I watch? 

The draw of the Round of 16 will take place on 21st February, Friday at 11:00 GMT (1630 hrs IST) at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland. The ardent fans of the game can watch the Champions League Round of 16 draw live on the official website of UEFA.

What are the potential pairings of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16?

The last 16 sides of the Champions League will be divided into two categories. The automatically qualified sides and the sides that won the play-offs. The teams that qualified automatically are paired based on the group stage rankings (like 1 & 2, 3 & 4) and will face one of the predetermined opponents. 

The first team from the pair will fall into one side whereas the other team will fall into the opposite side. The play-off winners will host the first leg of the Round of 16.

When are the different rounds of Champions League knockouts played?

The finals of the tournament will be played on 31st May in Munich. The Road to Munich for the teams will involve the Round of 16 (4-5 & 11-12 March), quarterfinals (8-9 & 15-16 April) and the semifinals (29-30 April & 6-7 May)