When is the Champions League round of 16 draw and which teams are involved?

With just a handful of meaningful Games left to play four teams are still required to make up the numbers for the 2023/24 Champions League round of 16. That’s right, with two days of action remaining, we already know 12 of the clubs that will definitely be having their name written on a small piece of paper, folded up and placed inside a sealed (unheated) plastic sphere. For fans of those clubs, a bead of excitement sweat is already starting to form on their brow, as thoughts turn to the potential opponent that could be drawn against them in the first knockout stage.

Which teams have qualified for UCL round of 16?

With continental juggernauts Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester City, along with RB Leipzig, Real Sociedad and Inter, all having already made it through with two Games to spare, we then watched Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Lazio and Atlético Madrid added to the pots.

The four remaining tickets to the next round - as well as confirmation of which team finishes the group in third and drops into the Europa League - will be known by close of footballing business on Wednesday 13 December when the group phase comes to a close.

When is the 2023/24 Champions League round of 16 draw?

So to the draw for the round of 16 action, which gets going in February 2024. UEFA’s glitzy ball plucking ceremony will take place on Monday 18 December beginning at 12 noon local time (6 a.m. ET / 3 a.m. PT). The 16 qualified teams will be divided into two pots of eight, determined by who finished in first and second place in the group stage. Clubs from the same national federation and those that have already faced each other in the group stage will not be able to meet in the round of 16 qualifiers.

As always, you’ll be able to follow the draw live with us at AS USA, entertaining build-up getting going about an hour before the UEFA bigwigs get involved.

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When are the games of the 2023-24 Champions League round of 16?

The next stage of the competition will begin in February 2024, when the Champions League returns with first leg games scheduled for 13/14 and 20/21 February. The return legs will be played on 5/6 and 12/13 of March.

On Friday 15 March 2024, the draw for the quarterfinals and semifinals will be held, which will set the path for the showpiece final on 1 June 2024 at Wembley (London).