Need to know
Liverpool are set to travel to Spain or Turkey for their round-of-16 clash in the Champions League
Liverpool's German midfielder #07 Florian Wirtz celebrates scoring the team's second goal with Liverpool's French striker #22 Hugo Ekitike (2R) during the UEFA Champions League football match between Liverpool and Qarabag at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on January 28, 2026.
Liverpool will face one of two formidable opponents in the Champions League(Image: PAUL ELLIS, AFP via Getty Images)
Everything you need to know ahead of the Champions League draw
Who is involved?: Arsenal topped the Champions League table and secured automatic qualification. Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea also progressed directly to the draw, with Newcastle making it through via the play-off round.
How much will each team earn?: For the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League season, the financial incentives for reaching the round of 16 are huge. Every club that has advanced to this stage receives a fixed performance bonus of £9.5million (€11m).
Liverpool's potential opponents: The Reds finished third in the Champions League table and will be travelling to either Spain or Turkey. They will take on either Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray.
Other potential match-ups for Premier League sides: Tottenham are on the same side of the draw as Liverpool, and will face the other team from Atletico or Galatasaray. City will come up against Real Madrid or Bodo/Glimt, Arsenal will see Bayer Leverkusen or Atalanta in the round of 16 and Newcastle are up against Barcelona or Chelsea, who could also come up against current holders Paris Saint-Germain.
How does the Champions League draw work?: The Champions League draw has moved away from the traditional "random pots" format in favour of a bracket-based system, similar to a tennis event. This guarantees that the sides that performed best during the league phase are, in theory, rewarded with a more favourable route through the competition and cannot be pitted against one another until the latter stages, though this is not always how it unfolds.
Key rule changes: In the knockout rounds, clubs from the same domestic league are now permitted to face one another. An all-Premier League or all-La Liga tie could appear as early as the round of 16, with Chelsea vs Newcastle a possible draw.
Seeded teams' advantage: Those who have finished in the top eight of the Champions League table will hold an edge over their opponents. They are guaranteed the second leg at home.