Conference League Round of 16 Draw Reveals Road to the Quarter-Finals

The draw for the 2025-26 UEFA Conference League Round of 16 was held in Nyon, Switzerland on February 27, setting the matchups for the next knockout stage. The ceremony completed the bracket following the playoff round earlier in the week, where eight teams secured qualification after intense competition. These clubs will now face eight sides that had already advanced automatically from the league phase after finishing among the top positions.

The draw was conducted by UEFA officials and assisted by a former European goalkeeper, marking the official start of the Round of 16 stage. The seeded teams earned their status by finishing in the top eight during the league phase, allowing them to bypass the playoff round. Meanwhile, the remaining teams entered this stage after battling through additional knockout matches, creating a balanced lineup of strong contenders.

The draw system grouped the seeded teams into four pairs based on their final league standings, forming separate seeding pots. Each pair was matched against one of the playoff winners, with the selection process beginning from the lower-ranked pots and ending with the highest-ranked teams. This arrangement increases the chances of competitive encounters early in the knockout stage and defines the pathway toward the quarter-finals.

Drawing Results:
· Lech Poznan vs Shakhtar Donetsk
· Crystal Palace vs AEK Larnaca
· Samsunspor vs Rayo Vallecano
· Sigma Olomouc vs Mainz
· AZ Alkmaar vs Sparta Prague
· Fiorentina vs Rakow
· Celje vs AEK Athens
· Rijeka vs Strasbourg