Explained: Why Liverpool will not be able to host Real Madrid in Champions League next season with new UEFA rule set to come into effect

In this week's Champions League draw, Liverpool drew Madrid at home as one of the eight games in the league phase of the competition. The Reds beat Los Blancos 2-0 at Anfield last season but UEFA's new rule means they cannot lock horns at the same stadium if they both play in the 2026-27 edition of the competition. Here's why.

According to paragraph 16.03 of the UEFA Champions League regulations: "UEFA administration may determine alternative conditions for the draw in accordance with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee and may adapt any of the conditions of the draw to avoid deadlock situations and/or take into account any relevant constraints in light of decisions taken by the UEFA Executive Committee.

"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."

While Liverpool cannot host Madrid at Anfield in next season's Champions League, the Spanish giants would be able to entertain the Merseyside outfit at the Santiago Bernabeu. Incidentally, the two teams have met on 12 occasions in European football's top club competition. Madrid have won seven, lost four, and drawn one of their meetings.

Arne Slot's Premier League champions will play host to Xabi Alonso's Madrid on November 4 in this season's Champions League in what will be their fourth match of the competition. A lot of football has to be played between then and now, though.