🚨 UEFA Rule Twist: Why Liverpool Could Be Stopped From Hosting Real Madrid at Anfield
Liverpool fans have been handed a surprising twist ahead of future Champions League campaigns. A little-known UEFA regulation could prevent the Reds from welcoming Real Madrid to Anfield in the 2026/27 season.
The 2025/26 league phase draw saw Liverpool once again paired with Los Blancos, this time with the tie set to be played on Merseyside. It’s a repeat of last season’s meeting at Anfield, which now triggers a unique UEFA safeguard.
According to a ruling on UEFA’s official website, no two clubs can face each other at the same ground in the league phase three years running. In simple terms: if Liverpool play Real Madrid at Anfield this year, and they had already hosted them last year, then in 2026/27 the venue would automatically switch to the Santiago Bernabéu should the two giants be drawn together again.
This ruling was introduced to prevent repetition and ensure greater variety in fixtures, but it could frustrate many fans who relish the Anfield atmosphere on European nights against Madrid.
âš½ To put it in context:
2024/25 → Liverpool hosted Real Madrid at Anfield
2025/26 → Same again, Anfield hosting Los Blancos
2026/27 (if drawn together) → The tie would have to be staged in Madrid
That means Trent Alexander-Arnold, now a Real Madrid player, would only return to Anfield with Los Blancos this season—not the next.
What do you think, Reds fans? Is UEFA right to enforce this fairness rule, or is it robbing supporters of the chance to witness Europe’s most thrilling fixture under the lights at Anfield?
