Liverpool will not be able to host Real Madrid at Anfield in the Champions League league phase this season due to a UEFA rule introduced to prevent repeated venue assignments.
Under the updated UEFA regulations, no individual fixture between the same two teams can take place at the same venue for three consecutive seasons in the league phase. Since Liverpool hosted Real Madrid at home in both the 2024/25 and 2025/26 campaigns, a third consecutive game at Anfield is officially ruled out for 2026/27.
If the two teams are drawn against each other during Thursday’s draw in Monaco, the match will have to take place at the Santiago Bernabéu instead.
