Liverpool will no longer be allowed to host Real Madrid at Anfield in the Champions League group stage next season.
Arne Slot’s men face Real at home on Tuesday, heading into the clash after losing six of their last eight games across all competitions, although they returned to winning ways with a 2–0 Premier League victory over Aston Villa on Saturday.
In this season’s Champions League campaign, Liverpool have so far beaten Atletico Madrid and Frankfurt, but suffered a matchweek two defeat to Galatasaray. Real Madrid, on the other hand, have a perfect record and sit top of the league phase ahead of the Anfield meeting.
However, a little-known UEFA rule means this will be their last group stage meeting at Anfield for at least the next two years.
UEFA has added a regulation to the 2026/27 draw stating that if two teams are paired against each other in the group stage for two consecutive seasons with the same club hosting both fixtures, they cannot be drawn to play at that same venue for a third straight season.
Since Liverpool beat Real Madrid 2–0 at Anfield in last season’s group stage, the new rule dictates that if both clubs are drawn together again next season, the match must be played at the Bernabéu instead. To keep the required balance of four home and four away fixtures, one of Liverpool’s scheduled away ties would then be switched to Anfield.
This rule applies only to the group-stage fixtures, not the knockout rounds.
UEFA’s full rule 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).”
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