Atletico Madrid have become the first team from the knockout playoff phase to punch their ticket to the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League Round of 16. They secured their advancement following a dominant 4-1 victory (7-4 on aggregate) over Club Brugge at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.
Atletico Madrid‘s opponent in the Round of 16 will be either Liverpool or Tottenham, depending on the results of the official UEFA draw scheduled for Friday, February 27.
Under the competition’s new format, clubs can now face opponents they already played during the league phase or teams from their own national association in the Round of 16—a departure from previous regulations.
If drawn against Liverpool, it would mark a rematch of their league-phase encounter, which the English side won 3-2 at Anfield. The Round of 16 fixtures are currently scheduled to take place across two legs on March 10-11 and March 17-18, 2026.
Andrew Robertson celebrates a goal against Atletico Madrid. (Getty Images)
Who else has qualified for the Round of 16?
Atletico Madrid join the eight clubs that earned direct qualification by finishing in the top spots during the league phase. Those teams are: Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting Lisbon, and Manchester City.
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Following Atletico’s qualification on Tuesday, three more spots will be decided as the series between Inter Milan vs Bodo/Glimt, Bayer Leverkusen vs Olympiacos, and Newcastle vs Qarabag conclude.
The final four spots will be filled on Wednesday when Atalanta face Borussia Dortmund, Juventus meet Galatasaray, Real Madrid take on Benfica, and PSG play Monaco.
