Liverpool could be drawn against Real Madrid in the Champions League for a third consecutive season, but UEFA rules mean the match could not take place at Anfield.
The two clubs are among the 36 teams set to discover their opponents in Thursday’s 2026-27 Champions League league phase draw in Monaco. Both are in Pot 1, alongside several of Europe’s leading clubs, so another meeting between the European giants remains possible.
However, a new draw condition prevents Liverpool from being the home side if they are paired with Real Madrid again. The same restriction applies to a possible third successive league-phase meeting between Arsenal and Inter Milan.
UEFA introduced the rule after the Champions League changed to its league-phase format for the 2024-25 campaign. Rather than competing in traditional groups, each club now plays eight matches against eight different opponents.
Every team faces two clubs from each of the four pots, with four games played at home and four away.
Liverpool have hosted Real Madrid at Anfield in each of the past two editions of the competition. They won the first match 2-0 and followed that with a 1-0 victory in the subsequent season.
Arsenal and Inter Milan have also met twice during the league phase, with Inter as the home team on both occasions. Inter won the first fixture 1-0, before Arsenal claimed a 3-1 victory in last season’s return meeting.
UEFA has now acted to stop one club from hosting the same opponent in three consecutive seasons. Its regulations state: “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.”
The condition does not rule out another Liverpool-Real Madrid fixture. If the teams are drawn together, Real Madrid would have to host the game.
Similarly, Arsenal and Inter Milan could meet again, but Inter would not be allowed to stage the match for a third successive season.
The rule therefore affects the venue rather than the possibility of a repeat pairing. It applies when the same two clubs have played each other with the same team at home in the previous two campaigns.
Thursday’s draw will establish whether either fixture is repeated. If one or both pairings occur, it will also determine which club has home advantage under UEFA’s restriction.
The league phase will contain 36 teams. The top eight in the final table will qualify directly for the round of 16.
Teams finishing from ninth to 24th will enter the knockout play-offs, while clubs placed 25th or lower will be eliminated from the Champions League.
