Liverpool must travel to the Bernabeu if they are to face Real Madrid in next season’s qualifying round.

Late on August 28, the most successful football team in England was once again drawn to host “Los Blancos” at home in the qualifying round of the 2025/26 Champions League season.

Liverpool will not be able to play Real Madrid at Anfield in the 2026/27 Champions League under a change to UEFA regulations . The new rule prevents the same fixture between the two teams, with the same home team, from being played in three consecutive seasons.

“UEFA has decided to apply an additional condition to the 2026/27 Champions League draw, stipulating that matches between the same two teams cannot be repeated in the same competition and with the same host team in three consecutive seasons,” UEFA’s website said.

This means that if two teams meet in the 2024/25 Champions League qualifying round and then meet again at this stage in 2025/26 with the same home team, then in 2026/27 the match can only be played at the home ground of the other team.

As Liverpool faced Real Madrid at Anfield last season and this season, if the two teams meet again next season, the match will be held at the Santiago Bernabeu. Last season, Liverpool beat Real Madrid 2-0 at Anfield.