UEFA Blocks Liverpool From Hosting Real Madrid In Champions League Match

Liverpool have reportedly been barred from hosting Real Madrid at Anfield in the Champions League group stage next season.

Arne Slot’s men welcome Real to Merseyside on Tuesday amid a poor run of form, having lost six of their last eight matches in all competitions, though they did return to winning ways with a 2–0 victory over Aston Villa at the weekend.

In this season’s Champions League campaign, Liverpool have claimed wins over Atletico Madrid and Frankfurt but suffered defeat to Galatasaray on matchday two. Real Madrid, on the other hand, boast a perfect record and currently top the league phase ahead of the midweek clash.

However, a little-known UEFA rule means this will be the last time Real Madrid play at Anfield in the group stage for at least two years.

UEFA’s new regulation, which will come into effect from the 2026/27 draw, states that if two clubs are paired against each other in the group stage for two consecutive seasons — with the same team playing at home both times — they cannot be drawn into the same fixture for a third straight season.

Since Liverpool hosted and defeated Real 2–0 at Anfield in last season’s group stage, the rule ensures that if they meet again next season, the fixture would have to be played at the Bernabéu instead. This would also require one of Liverpool’s other away fixtures to switch to Anfield to maintain the balance of four home and four away matches.

The rule only applies to the group phase and not to knockout rounds. UEFA’s official wording states:

> “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 (although, for the sake of clarity, those teams could still be drawn against each other at the venue of the other team).”