The UEFA Champions League is approaching crunch time: the knockout phase.
After 32 teams entered the group phase, 16 now remain. Big names such as Manchester United have already exited the tournament, while surprise packages such as Copenhagen and Real Sociedad will hope to continue their adventure in the grandest of all European club competitions.
The draw for the Round of 16 took place on December 18, where the 16 remaining sides learned who they will meet when the competition resumes in February 2024.
Holders Manchester City were pitted against Copenhagen, the surprise package from Group A who defeated Manchester United en route to qualifying for the knockouts. Real Madrid will meet RB Leipzig, while Barcelona face a tough test in the form of Serie A champions Napoli.
The complete draw for the Round of 16 is mapped out below.
Teams in UEFA Champions League knockout stage
There are 16 teams who qualified for the knockout phase of the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League.
The seeded teams are those that finished top of their group; the unseeded teams qualified in second place. Seeded and unseeded teams were drawn against one another in the Round of 16.
At this stage of the tournament, teams from the same country cannot play against each other. Similarly, no teams who were in the same group can face each other in the Round of 16 (for instance, Real Madrid could not have been drawn against Napoli). Those parameters do not apply once we get to the quarterfinal stage.
| Team | Group | Seeded/Unseeded |
| Arsenal (ENG) | B | Seeded |
| Atletico Madrid (SPA) | E | Seeded |
| Barcelona (SPA) | H | Seeded |
| Bayern Munich (GER) | A | Seeded |
| Borussia Dortmund (GER) | F | Seeded |
| Manchester City (ENG) | G | Seeded |
| Real Madrid (SPA) | C | Seeded |
| Real Sociedad (SPA) | D | Seeded |
| Copenhagen (DEN) | A | Unseeded |
| Inter Milan (ITA) | D | Unseeded |
| Lazio (ITA) | E | Unseeded |
| RB Leipzig (GER) | G | Unseeded |
| Napoli (ITA) | C | Unseeded |
| PSG (FRA) | F | Unseeded |
| Porto (POR) | G | Unseeded |
| PSV (NED) | B | Unseeded |
UEFA Champions League Round of 16 draw in full
The seeded team will play the second leg of the Round of 16 tie at home.
| Porto | vs. | Arsenal |
| Napoli | vs. | Barcelona |
| Paris Saint-Germain | vs. | Real Sociedad |
| Inter Milan | vs. | Atletico Madrid |
| PSV | vs. | Borussia Dortmund |
| Lazio | vs. | Bayern Munich |
| Copenhagen | vs. | Manchester City |
| RB Leipzig | vs. | Real Madrid |
When are the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 games?
After a two-month break from mid-December, the 2023/24 Champions League will resume with the Round of 16 stage in February 2024.
Teams will play the first legs of their ties on February 13, 14, 20 or 21, with the return matches on March 5, 6, 12 or 13.
Away goals do not count in the Champions League after the rule was dropped before the 2021/22 season, so ties that are level at the end of normal time in the second leg go to extra time and, if necessary, penalties.
UEFA Champions League knockout stage schedule
The quarterfinals take place in April, with the semifinals starting on the final day of the month and concluding in May.
The final takes place on June 1, which is 13 days before the first game of Euro 2024 in Germany. Here’s the full knockout stage schedule.
| Stage | Dates |
| Round of 16 | February 13/14, 20/21 (first legs); March 5/6, 12/13 (second legs) |
| Quarterfinals | April 9/10 (first legs); 16/17 (second legs) |
| Semifinals | April 30/May (first legs); May 7/8 (second legs) |
| Final | June 1 |
