Champions League: Liverpool won't be able to host Real Madrid!

A UEFA rule prevents the same fixture from being played three seasons in a row at the same stadium

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Champions League: Liverpool won't be able to host Real Madrid!

Liverpool will not be able to welcome Real Madrid during the 2026-2027 league phase. If the two clubs are drawn together on Thursday, the match will be played at the Santiago Bernabéu.

The Champions League league phase draw could well set up another clash between Liverpool and Real Madrid. One thing is already certain: the Madrid side will not be traveling to Anfield.

UEFA regulations prohibit the same league phase fixture from being played three consecutive seasons with the same club at home. Since Liverpool hosted Real Madrid in both the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 editions, any potential new showdown must therefore take place at the Santiago Bernabéu. This restriction applies only to the league phase and will not be enforced if the two teams meet again in the knockout rounds.

🚨 OFFICIAL: New UEFA rules prevent the same fixture from being played 3 years in a row with the same home team.

❌ Real Madrid will NOT play Liverpool at Anfield in UCL league phase this season.

🏟️ But Real Madrid vs Liverpool can still happen at the Bernabéu. pic.twitter.com/tfjsjuCMyT
— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) August 26, 2026

Two straight Liverpool wins at Anfield

The Reds have come out on top in the last two meetings. In November 2024, they claimed a 2-0 victory thanks to goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo. A year later, Mac Allister made the difference again, scoring the only goal in another English win (1-0).

Despite these two recent setbacks, the overall record still favors Real Madrid. The two giants have faced off 13 times in European competition: seven Madrid wins, five for Liverpool, and one draw. Real have scored 17 goals to Liverpool's 13.

This rivalry has also produced three finals. Liverpool won the first in 1981 (1-0), before Real Madrid took revenge in 2018 (3-1) and again in 2022 (1-0). Other memorable results include the 4-0 thrashing by the Reds in 2009 and the Merengues' spectacular 5-2 win at Anfield in 2023.

Both clubs knocked out in last season's quarter-finals

Liverpool and Real Madrid both reached the quarter-finals of the 2025-2026 Champions League. The Reds were eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain after two 2-0 defeats, for an aggregate score of 4-0. Madrid's run also ended at this stage, falling to Bayern Munich (2-1 loss in the first leg, then 4-3 in the return, 6-4 on aggregate).