Liverpool and Real Madrid to Meet Again at Anfield — But a New UEFA Rule Could End Future Clashes
Liverpool and Real Madrid are set to renew their rivalry at Anfield once more in the Champions League league phase — the second straight season the two European heavyweights will face each other at this stage. However, a new UEFA regulation could mean that this fixture soon becomes impossible to repeat.
Under UEFA’s revised competition format, Liverpool and Real Madrid will be barred from meeting in next season’s league phase if both clubs qualify. The rule is part of a new measure aimed at preventing identical fixtures — featuring the same home side — from occurring for three consecutive seasons.
Arne Slot’s Liverpool earned a 2–0 victory over Real Madrid at Anfield last November, and will once again welcome the reigning Spanish champions this week. Their encounter adds another page to one of European football’s most storied rivalries — the pair have now faced off 13 times in the Champions League, with all but one of those meetings taking place over the past 16 years.
Only two of their previous clashes came during the old group-stage format, while the rest were knockout ties — including three memorable finals in 1981, 2021, and 2022.
UEFA’s Rule Change Explained
As detailed in paragraph 16.03 of the UEFA Champions League regulations, a new stipulation will apply to the tournament’s draw process starting from the 2026/27 season.
The regulation reads:
“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.”
In simpler terms, if Liverpool and Real Madrid — who will have met in both the 2024/25 and 2025/26 league phases with Liverpool as the home side — were drawn together again in 2026/27 with Liverpool once more hosting, that fixture would be blocked.
However, UEFA clarified that a reversed venue would still allow the matchup to occur — meaning a meeting at the Santiago Bernabéu would remain possible.
A Rivalry That Endures — For Now
This week’s game adds another compelling chapter to one of modern football’s defining European rivalries. But with UEFA’s new restriction in effect, it could also mark the last Anfield showdown between Liverpool and Real Madrid for some time — at least under the current Champions League format.
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