The draw for the last 16 of the Conference League takes place this afternoon, with Chelsea set to learn their next opponents.
While the Blues might have bigger priorities in mind this season, failing to win this trophy would be a major surprise.
Indeed, Chelsea won all eight of their games in the League phase of the competition and even their B-team look capable of going all the way.
Out of both domestic cup competitions and facing a battle to qualify for the Champions League next season through the Premier League, it’s a tournament that offers the potential of some welcome silverware for Enzo Maresca.
Still, while Chelsea are strong favourites, anything can happen in knockout football. With that in mind, here’s a look at all you need to know about the Conference League last-16 draw.
What time is the Conference League last-16 draw?
The last-16 draw for the Conference League takes place today at 1pm GMT on Friday February 21, 2025 at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
How to watch Conference League last-16 draw
TV channel and live stream: The draw will be streamed live and for free on UEFA’s official website and YouTube channel, with live television coverage available from 1pm on TNT Sports 1.
TNT Sports subscribers can also watch it unfold online via the Discovery+ website and app.
LIVE coverage: Follow the draw as it happens with Standard Sport’s live blog.
Conference League last-16 format
The teams who finished in the top eight of the Conference League league phase table automatically qualified for the last 16 and they have been joined by the eight winners of the two-legged knockout phase play-off ties.
Pairings for the round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals have been pre-defined, based on where teams finished in the league phase.
Who has qualified for the Conference League last-16?
Chelsea
Vitoria
Fiorentina
Rapid Wien
Djurgarden
Lugano
Legia Warsaw
Cercle Brugge
Real Betis
Panathinaikos
Jagiellonia Białystok
Celje
Copenhagen
Pafos
Molde
Borac
Who can Chelsea face in the Conference League last-16?
As a result of finishing top in the league phase, Chelsea’s four possible opponents were Gent, FC Copenhagen, Real Betis and Heidenheim.
That has now been cut to just Real Betis or Copenhagen, after the play-off ties.
Betis beat Gent 3-1 on aggregate despite defeat in the second leg at home, while Copenhagen edged past Heidenheim 4-3 on aggregate after extra-time.
Conference League last-16 dates
The Conference League round of 16 will take place on Thursday March 6, 2025. The return legs are scheduled for Thursday March 13, 2025.
