UEFA has set September 2, 2026, as the deadline for clubs to submit their List A squads for the 2026/27 Champions League league phase, with each club permitted to register a maximum of 25 players.
According to the European football governing body, clubs must submit their List A squads by 23:59 CET on Wednesday, September 2, after which the lists will be verified and validated by the respective national associations.
UEFA said clubs must comply with both the squad-size limit and its requirements for locally trained players.
Under the regulations, a maximum of 25 players can be registered on List A, with at least two required to be goalkeepers. At least eight of the 25 places must be reserved for locally trained players, while no more than four of those eight places can be occupied by association-trained players.
Clubs that do not have eight eligible locally trained players will have their maximum List A squad size reduced accordingly.
UEFA classifies locally trained players into two categories. Club-trained players must have been registered with the club for three full seasons, or 36 months, between the ages of 15 and 21, while association-trained players must have spent the same period with one or more clubs affiliated with the same national association.
Unlimited List B Registrations
Clubs will also be allowed to register an unlimited number of players on List B during the season, provided they meet UEFA’s eligibility requirements.
List B can be amended throughout the campaign and must be submitted no later than 23:59 CET on the day before the relevant match.
Players born on or after January 1, 2005, can qualify for List B if they have been eligible to play for the club for an uninterrupted period of two years since turning 15, or for three consecutive years, with a maximum one-year loan spell at a club from the same association.
Sixteen-year-old players can also qualify if they have been registered with their club continuously for the previous two years.
UEFA has also clarified that players who featured for another club during the qualifying rounds or play-offs of the Champions League, Europa League or Conference League can represent a different club in the Champions League from the league phase.
Clubs Can Add Three Players in Knockout Phase
Clubs that progress to the knockout stage will be permitted to make further changes to their squads.
UEFA said such clubs can register a maximum of three new players by 23:59 CET on February 4, 2027.
The additional players may have previously featured for another club in the qualifying phase, play-offs or league phase of any of UEFA’s three men’s club competitions.
However, the overall List A limit of 25 players will remain in force, alongside the requirement for eight locally trained players.
Special Provision for Injured Players
UEFA has also retained provisions allowing clubs to temporarily replace players suffering long-term injuries or illnesses.
During the league phase up to and including Matchday 6, a club can temporarily replace one outfield player whose injury or illness is expected to keep him out for at least 60 days.
The replacement must already have been registered with the club before the September 2 List A deadline.
Goalkeepers are subject to separate provisions. A goalkeeper suffering a long-term injury or illness lasting at least 30 days can be temporarily replaced at any stage of the season.
A goalkeeper may also be replaced after Matchday 6 and before the conclusion of the league phase if he leaves the club on a permanent transfer.
The 2026/27 Champions League league phase is scheduled to begin on September 8, 2026, with the competition set to conclude with the final at Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium on June 5, 2027.