Every Club’s Route to Champions League Final Ranked From Easiest to Hardest
March 10, 2026· root· 2 min read
Arsenal have been handed a favorable route. / David Price/Arsenal FC/Getty Images
The last 16 draw has set the stage for the remaining phases of the Champions League as participants plan out their routes to May’s final.
Kinder to some than others, the draw has forged some tantalizing double-headed duels across the continent, but there was one particular point of interest that appeared after all the balls had been selected.
The Champions League bracket now appears rather lopsided. One half of the draw is notably tougher than the other half. The misfortune of the eight teams forced to fight on a particularly star-studded battleground has been celebrated by the remaining clubs, who boast a much simpler route to glory.
But which teams have the easiest and toughest paths to the final?
The 2025–26 Champions League bracket. / FotMob
Routes to the Champions Legaue Final Ranked From Easiest to Hardest Arsenal have a great chance to win their first Champions League title. / Franco Arland/Getty Images
The general consensus following the draw’s conclusion was that Lady Luck shone brightly on Arsenal. The Gunners were placed on the “Blue Path,” which is the much more straightforward of the two routes to the final, and were handed a clash with Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16—their reward for finishing first in the league phase.
Surprise packages Sporting CP or Bodø/Glimt await in the quarterfinal, before a battle with one of Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Newcastle United or north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Tough fixtures, yes, but they could have been much harder.
