Liverpool are banned from facing Real Madrid in the Champions League next season should both teams qualify for the league phase of Europe’s elite competition. That’s due to a unique UEFA ruling having been drawn against each other in two consecutive campaigns since the change of format. Arne Slot’s side defeated Madrid 2-0 on Merseyside in late November last season and will now host Madrid this week.

It's set to be the 13th time Liverpool have met Real Madrid in the competition, with all but one of those meetings played in the last 16 years.

However, just two of those matches have taken place in the old group stages format, with the remaining meetings taking place in the knockout stages of the competition, including three finals (1981, 2021 and 2022).

But in accordance with paragraph 16.03 of the UEFA Champions League regulations, the two clubs will not meet in next year’s league phase instalment of the competition.

The rule states: “In accordance with paragraph 16.03 of the UEFA Champions League regulations, the UEFA Club Competitions Committee has determined an additional condition that may be applicable to the UEFA Champions League draw for the 2026/27 season, deciding that any individual fixture between the same two teams may not be repeated in the same competition with the same home team for three consecutive seasons.

“This means that 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).” (Liverpool ECHO, excluding headline)