UEFA Champions League draw results: It’s Ronaldo vs. Messi in the Round of 16
So Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo is actually going to happen. That’s the biggest story emerging from the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 draw that took place on Monday in Nyon, Switzerland.
The eight Champions League group winners were drawn against the eight group runners-up, and they could not be drawn against teams that hail from the same group or country (scroll down for the tables with this information). The group winners host the second leg in the Round of 16.
Among the other highlights of the draw: Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich could be a slugfest and Inter Milan vs. Ajax Amsterdam should be entertaining between two evenly matched teams.
MORE: List of Champions League top scorers this season
There’s also recent history when Liverpool and RB Salzburg meet. Real Madrid (vs. Benfica) and Chelsea (vs. LOSC Lille) will definitely like their chances to make the quarterfinals.
Champions League draw live updates
The Round of 16 matchups will be added to the table below as the names are drawn:
Match | Home team – 1st leg | Home team – 2nd leg | |
1 | Benfica | vs | Real Madrid |
2 | Villarreal CF | vs | Manchester City |
3 | Atletico Madrid | vs | Bayern Munich |
4 | RB Salzburg | vs | Liverpool |
5 | Inter Milan | vs | Ajax |
6 | Sporting CP | vs | Juventus |
7 | Chelsea | vs | LOSC Lille |
8 | Paris Saint-Germain | vs | Manchester United |
(All times Eastern)
6:22 a.m.: Chelsea comes up and the Blues can only face French club LOSC Lille. So that means it’s PSG vs. Manchester United in the Round of 16.
6:21 a.m.: Sporting CP is the next runner-up. Arshavin pulls out Juventus from the pot. Not a bad draw for the Italian side.
6:20 a.m.: Inter Milan comes up next. And the Italian champs are paired with group winners Ajax Amsterdam.
6:19 a.m.: Next runner-up is Austrian side FC Salzburg, the first Austrian side in the knockout stages. And the opponent that comes up for them is Liverpool.
6:18 a.m.: Atletico Madrid is the next runner-up that comes up. They’re drawn against Bayern Munich.
6:16 a.m.: Now it’s Villarreal drawn and they’re paired with Manchester United. But since they played in the same group, Arshavin has to draw again. And it’s Manchester City.
6:15 a.m.: Benfica is the first group runner-up drawn. And they’re drawn against Real Madrid.
6:13 a.m.: Now it’s Michael Heselschwerdt, UEFA head of club competitions, going over the rules. He says that only later this afternoon will we know the official schedule. UEFA will determine which matches are played on each of the eight matchdays.
6:09 a.m.: Andrey Arshavin being introduced. He’s going to be helping Marchetti pick out the balls from the pots. And now draw host Pedro Pinto is asking him a few questions.
6:06 a.m.: The deputy general secretary of UEFA, Giorgio Marchetti, has the mic. He’s the master of ceremonies.
6 a.m.: We’re waiting on the draw proceedings to get started in Nyon, Switzerland. It’s kicking off with a hype video of all 16 qualifiers.
5:15 a.m.: In case you’re wondering why Andrey Arshavin is part of today’s draw: He’s born and bred in Saint Petersburg and played for the local club. That’s where the final is happening on May 28.
5:12 a.m.: CBS Sports is hosting a live watch along with the draw that you can view below. It will begin at 5:50 a.m.:
4 a.m.: The draw is a great time to unveil a new Champions League ball for the knockouts:
MORE: How the Europa League playoffs work
How the Champions League draw works
The eight group winners will be drawn against the eight group runners-up for the Round of 16, but no team can be drawn against another that hails from the same group or country.
MORE: The final Champions League group standings
Below are the Round of 16 qualifiers sorted by group:
Group | Pot A (Group winners) | Pot B (Runners-up) |
---|---|---|
A | Manchester City | Paris Saint-Germain |
B | Liverpool | Atletico Madrid |
C | Ajax | Sporting CP |
D | Real Madrid | Inter Milan |
E | Bayern Munich | Benfica |
F | Manchester United | Villarreal |
G | LOSC Lille | RB Salzburg |
H | Juventus | Chelsea |
Here are the Round of 16 qualifiers sorted by country:
Nation | Total clubs | Clubs |
---|---|---|
England | 4 | Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City |
Spain | 3 | Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Villarreal |
France | 2 | Paris Saint-Germain, LOSC Lille |
Italy | 2 | Inter Milan, Juventus |
Portugal | 2 | Sporting CP, Benfica |
Austria | 1 | RB Salzburg |
Germany | 1 | Bayern Munich |
Netherlands | 1 | Ajax Amsterdam |
How to watch Champions League draw
- Date: Monday, Dec. 13
- Time: 6 a.m. ET
- TV channel (USA): TUDN
- Streaming (USA): fuboTV, Paramount+, CBS Sports HQ, TUDN app
- Streaming (Canada): DAZN
TUDN will provide live coverage of the Champions League draw in the U.S. That channel is available to stream on fuboTV (free 7-day trial for new users). CBS Sports’ coverage of the draw will stream live on Paramount+ and CBS Sports HQ in the U.S.
DAZN will stream the Champions League draw in Canada.