Liverpool will not be able to welcome Real Madrid to Anfield during the 2026-27 Champions League league phase because of a UEFA rule designed to prevent the same home fixture from being repeated in three consecutive seasons.
The Reds have faced Madrid at Anfield during the league phase in each of the previous two Champions League campaigns. However, regulations governing the competition mean that another meeting between the two sides at the same venue cannot be scheduled this season.
A meeting between Liverpool and Real Madrid is still possible in the upcoming draw, but the fixture would have to take place at the Santiago Bernabéu if Liverpool are selected to travel to the Spanish capital.
The relevant provision in last season’s Champions League regulations states:
“UEFA administration may determine alternative conditions for the draw in accordance with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee and may adapt any of the conditions of the draw to avoid deadlock situations and/or take into account any relevant constraints in light of decisions taken by the UEFA Executive Committee.
“The UEFA Club Competitions Committee has determined an additional condition that may be applicable to the UEFA Champions League draw for the 2026/27 season, deciding that any individual fixture between the same two teams may not be repeated in the same competition with the same home team for three consecutive seasons.
“This means that if any teams that already played against each other in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League in the 2024/25 season are again drawn against each other, with the same home team, in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League in this 2025/26 season, those teams will not be able to be drawn against each other with the same home team in the 2026/27 season.”
The rule therefore does not prevent Liverpool and Madrid from meeting again altogether ahead of the Thursday, August 27, 2026 draw. Instead, it specifically rules out Liverpool being the home side for a third straight league-phase encounter.
Liverpool have enjoyed success in their two previous meetings with the Spanish giants under the revamped Champions League format.
Their first league-phase clash in 2024-25 ended in a 2-0 Liverpool victory, with Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo scoring after the interval.
When the teams met again almost a year later, Mac Allister once more proved decisive. The Argentina midfielder headed home in the 61st minute from a Dominik Szoboszlai free-kick to secure another victory for the Merseyside club.
As a result, Liverpool have won both of their previous league-phase meetings with Real Madrid, but any third consecutive fixture between the sides in the same phase cannot be staged at Anfield.
