Download [better] Windows Server 2016 Vmware — Popular & Essential

Choose the 64-bit ISO option. While VHDX files exist for Hyper-V, the ISO is the most flexible format for creating a fresh VM in VMware.

The downloaded file will likely be named 14393.0.160715-1616.RS1_RELEASE_SERVER_EVAL_X64FRE_EN-US.ISO . download windows server 2016 vmware

Give your VM a name (e.g., "WinServer2016-Lab") and choose a storage path. Choose the 64-bit ISO option