"The transition to the Swiss Model' for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons has fundamentally changed how the Champions League knockout stage is structured. The process begins with the knockout phase draw taking place on February 27, 2026 which features 16 teams. This group consists of the top eight finishers from the league phase, who are seeded and received a bye,' and the eight winners from the knockout playoffs."
"Unlike the old format, this new system is designed to reward league performance by giving higher-ranked teams a more predictable and theoretically smoother path to the final. The mechanics of the draw revolve around a tennis-style seeding system. To prevent the very best teams from knocking each other out too early, UEFA pairs teams based on their final league standings (first and second, third and fourth, and so on)."
"As Champions League league phase winners, Arsenal go into the draw as the team to beat, and the favourites for the competition, with Mikel Arteta's side still in all four competitions. They were joined by Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur in the top eight of the first stage of the competition, with Newcastle United following, after winning their play-off against Qarabag."
The Champions League has introduced a new Swiss Model format for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons, fundamentally restructuring the knockout stage. The last-16 draw takes place on February 27, 2026, featuring 16 teams: the top eight league phase finishers who are seeded and receive a bye, plus eight knockout playoff winners. A tennis-style seeding system pairs teams based on final league standings to prevent top teams from meeting too early. This new structure rewards league performance by providing higher-ranked teams a more predictable path to the final. Six English teams qualified for the last-16, an unprecedented achievement, with Arsenal as league phase winners and overall favorites.
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