The unusual yet exciting group phase of the UEFA Champions League was followed by the playoff round, which concluded in January.

The new format of the competition means there are added Knockout ties for teams who failed to make it into the top eight of the group phase, and the first edition saw a lot of heavyweights head into the playoffs.

A consequence of the new format also means the round of 16 will not be the first knockout phase tie for all the teams, as had been the case since the 2003/04 campaign, when the round of 16 was first introduced.

Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, PSG Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, and Juventus were all amongst the names who took part in the playoffs after their woeful performances in the early round of the competition.

Manchester City was unlucky to come up against Real Madrid in the playoff draw, and hence the 2023 winners have been dumped out of the competition following a 6-3 aggregate defeat over two legs.

It was a disappointing campaign for Milan and Juventus, who were both sent packing by Dutch teams Feyenoord Rotterdam and PSV Eindhoven, respectively, while they were also joined by another Italian team, Atalanta, which also lost out to Belgian side Club Brugge.

With all Entrants for the 2024/25 edition known, we take a look at the top ten teams with the most round of 16 appearances in UEFA Champions League history.

10 Teams with Most UCL Round of 16 Appearances 

10 – Liverpool – 12 appearances

The Premier League giant is one of the most consistent teams in the UEFA Champions League earlier in this century and reached the round of 16 in consecutive seasons since its inauguration till the end of the first decade, winning the title in 2005 and 2019.

Liverpool also reached the final in two other years, 2018 and 2022 – although they fell off midway through the last decade, but are fully back in the company of elites these days.

The Reds that never walk alone have suffered group elimination once and have reached the round of 16 on twelve occasions, making them one of the four English teams in our list.

9. Manchester United – 12 appearances 

Manchester United have reached the UEFA Champions League round of 16 twelve times, the majority of which have come under their legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson, under whom they only suffered a group exit once.

They won the title in 2008 and reached the final the following season, only to be beaten by Barcelona, and then two years later, they lost another final to the same opponent.

Since his retirement in 2013, the club has suffered three further group eliminations while they've failed to qualify for the competition five different seasons.

8. Juventus – 13 appearances

Juventus (13)has reached more UEFA Champions League round of 16s than any other Italian team, and despite their poor form in recent years, they keep the record for another year.

The Bianconneri suffered a couple of group exits and failed to qualify a couple of seasons at the start and end of the last decade, while they also missed the chance to add one more in the current season following their playoff defeat.

7. PSG Paris Saint-Germain – 13 appearances

Paris Saint-Germain has reached the UEFA Champions League round of 16 thirteen times, a record for a French team.

Their rise to prominence kicked off just over a decade ago, as even though they appeared a year following the maiden edition of the introduction of the round of 16, they didn't go past the group stages.

Eight years later, in 2012, they returned to the competition and have reached the round of 16 ever since, while getting to their only final in 2020, where they lost to Bayern Munich.

6. FC Porto – 14 appearances

Of all the teams to have made double digits of appearances in the UEFA Champions League round of 16, no one has suffered more group stage defeats than FC Porto (5).

The Portuguese team won the inaugural edition of the introduction of the round of 16 under the watch of the special one Jose Mourinho, who then went on to join Chelsea the following season, and the defending champions suffered their first group elimination.

Over the years, the two-time winners have had to put up with some underwhelming results in the competition, including a third-round qualifying round elimination in 2019/20.

However, they have appeared in the round of 16 on 14 different occasions, the most of any Portuguese side, which makes them one of the big names in European football.

5. Chelsea – 17 appearances

Chelsea is one of the teams to win multiple times since the introduction of the round of 16, reaching the final three times and winning twice in 2012 and 2022, losing in 2008.

However, the Blues have only qualified for the UEFA Champions League round of 16 on 17 out of 19 times they've featured in the group stage, while they've failed to make it in the other years, including in the ongoing season.

In the only two seasons they exited the competition from the group stage, Chelsea went on to the Europa League and won the competition on both occasions, showcasing their winning prowess even in their seasons of lows.

4. Arsenal – 17 appearances

Arsenal, tied with Chelsea, are the two English teams with the joint most UEFA Champions League round of 16 appearances, with 17 each.

The Gunners maintained an impressive record since the maiden edition, although they lost to Barcelona in their only final in 2006 – they qualified for every edition until late into the era of Arsène Wenger.

After failing to qualify for the competition for five straight seasons, they returned under the leadership of Mikel Arteta in 2023. It is also worth noting that Arsenal is the only team not to suffer group elimination of all those that have made at least 10 round of 16 appearances.

3. Barcelona – 19 appearances 

Barcelona is also a standout in the list, ranking third highest with 19 round of 16 appearances, inspired by their golden era, which coincided with the time of the introduction of the round of 16.

The Catalan giants missed out in the inaugural season of the round of 16 but have managed to qualify for all over the years, winning the title four times in that period in 2006, 2009, 2011, and 2015.

However, their capitulation at the start of this decade under the watch of former players like Ronald Koeman and Xavi Hernandez saw them suffer group exit in back-to-back editions in 2022 and 2023.

2. Bayern Munich – 21 appearances

Closest to first place is Bayern Munich. The Bavarians have reached the Round of 16 on 21 occasions, more than all but one team in history.

In that time, Bayern Munich has won the title once, triumphing in the unusual edition in 2020, which forced the elimination rounds to be played in a one-legged tie and on neutral ground, beating PSG in the final to claim the prize.

The German giants, although they have also not suffered a group exit from the competition, their failure to qualify after finishing out of the top four in the 2006/07 Bundesliga season means they are one shy of the all-time total.

1. Real Madrid – 22 appearances

Real Madrid, the undisputed king of European football, stands as the most dominant force in UEFA Champions League history, boasting a record 22 Round of 16 appearances.

Their unparalleled success stems from a winning mentality, assembling Galacticos, tactical adaptability, and a never-say-die attitude.

What sets them apart is their ability to perform when it matters most. Real Madrid has never been eliminated from the UEFA Champions League group stages since the introduction of the round of 16, hence their 22 appearances match the all-time total.