Is there a Champions League quarterfinal draw? Bracket format for tournament, explained

As the most esteemed club football competition in the world, the UEFA Champions League is a destination event for many fans across the globe.

The format reshuffle in 2024 changed much of the way the Champions League operates, especially the knockout stage where the method of setting the matchups has been altered significantly.

Using the new Swiss Model of competition, European football's governing body has reshaped the way that the competition finishes up, eliminating the need for some of the traditional draws and instead using the league-phase table to seed the competition.

So, how are the quarterfinals determined? The Sporting News details how the knockout stage matchups are set.

MORE: How to watch 2025/26 Champions League matches in the United States

Is there a Champions League quarterfinal draw?

As part of the new format in the Champions League, and indeed all UEFA club competitions, there is no separate quarterfinal draw after the Round of 16 has been concluded.

This is because the tournament bracket was already set during the initial knockout-stage draw, meaning each side knows their potential path to the final in Munich.

The bracket was formatted during the knockout-playoff draw and then solidified at the draw for the Round of 16. Even prior to that, the bracket was influenced heavily by the final standings of the league phase.

For example, the club that came first or second in the league phase knew they would face the winner of the playoff between the team that came 17th or 18 and the team that came 15th or 16th.

As such, unlike in previous seasons, there is no need for a specific quarterfinal and/or semifinal draw.

How does the Champions League bracket work?

The bracket is largely set before any draw even takes place, with the pathways restricted for each team based on where they end up in the league phase.

The top eight from the league phase are seeded in the draw according to their finishing position and earn a bye through to the Round of 16. The teams finishing ninth through 16th are then seeded for the knockout-playoff draw, while the teams that finish 17th through 24th are unseeded.

Thus, each draw is only meant to select which of the two possible opponents each team will face, and thus set the bracket by selecting in which side of the competition each team is placed.

There are no restrictions on teams from the same country facing one another at any stage from this point.

Knockout playoffs

Round of 16

From there, the tournament bracket is already mapped up to the Round of 16 and beyond, with teams handed their spots in the bracket and their route to the final.

As such, there will be no more knockout-stage draws from February 27 up to and including this season's final in Budapest on Saturday, May 30.

When are the Champions League quarterfinals?

For the 2025/26 competition, the quarterfinals will take place through the first half of April, once clubs have returned to action following the March international break.

Champions League quarterfinals 2025/26

Quarterfinals — 1st leg

Quarterfinals — 2nd leg

Champions League knockout round dates 2025/26