Champions League draw LIVE: Current updates as Newcastle, Real Madrid, and PSG learn their rivals

Following an intense final evening of league phase competition that compelled Newcastle United, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan, and others to navigate the Champions League playoff round, the time has come to unveil the identities of their respective adversaries, which you can follow live on ESPN.

The top eight teams have advanced directly to the round of 16, where they will be joined by the eight playoff winners, set to take place next month. The seeded draw indicates that each team from the playoff round will face one of two possible opponents.

The Premier League’s stronghold in the league phase leaves Newcastle as the sole English club poised to learn their fate today. Eddie Howe’s squad will be drawn to compete against either Monaco or Qarabag.

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If the 2024-25 tournament — the inaugural event of the revamped Champions League format — serves as any indication, this year’s champion could be among the 16 teams featured in today’s draw.

Real Madrid will undoubtedly be optimistic; they were unexpectedly relegated to the playoffs on the final night of the league phase by former manager José Mourinho — whose Benfica squad progressed thanks to a last-minute goal from goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin.

PSG and Newcastle began in the top eight but ended up drawing 1-1 in Paris, which caused them to drop to 11th and 12th place, respectively.

Madrid, PSG, Newcastle, and last season’s runners-up Inter Milan will be included in the qualifying playoffs draw on Friday for teams that finished ninth through 24th.

Nonetheless, PSG successfully navigated the playoffs round last year, taking the longest route possible with two additional matches in February toward their first European title.

Information from the Associated Press contributed to this story.