UEFA has fixed September 2, 2026, as the deadline for clubs to submit their List A squads for the 2026/27 Champions League league phase.
According to details published by UEFA on Monday, clubs must submit their squads, which must then be verified and approved by their respective national associations, by 23:59 CET on Wednesday, September 2.
Teams are permitted to register a maximum of 25 players on List A, with at least two required to be goalkeepers. Clubs must also meet UEFA’s locally trained-player requirements.
“Clubs are entitled to register a maximum of 25 players on List A during the season, of whom at least two must be goalkeepers.
“As a minimum, eight of those 25 places are reserved exclusively for ‘locally trained players’ and no club may have more than four ‘association-trained players’ listed among those eight places,” UEFA said.
Clubs that do not have eight locally trained players will have their maximum squad size reduced accordingly.
UEFA categorises locally trained players as either club-trained players who spent three full seasons or 36 months with a club between ages 15 and 21, or association-trained players who spent the same period with clubs affiliated to the same national association.
Meanwhile, clubs can register an unlimited number of eligible players on List B during the campaign.
“List B can be amended throughout the season and must be submitted no later than 23:59 CET on the day before the match in question,” UEFA said.
Players born on or after January 1, 2005, can qualify for List B if they have maintained the required registration period with their club. Players aged 16 can also qualify if they have been continuously registered with the club for the preceding two years.
Players Can Switch Clubs After Qualifying Rounds
UEFA’s regulations also permit players who featured for another club during the qualifying rounds or play-offs of its three men’s club competitions to represent a different team in the Champions League from the league phase.
“A player who has been fielded in the first, second or third qualifying round, or in the play-offs of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League or UEFA Conference League, is entitled to play in the UEFA Champions League for another club as from the league phase,” UEFA said.
Clubs that reach the knockout phase will be permitted to make additional squad changes, with a maximum of three new players allowed to be registered by 23:59 CET on February 4, 2027.
“Any or all of those players may have been fielded for another club in the qualifying phase, play-offs or league phase of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League or UEFA Conference League,” it said.
However, the 25-player List A limit and the requirement for eight locally trained players will remain.
Special Provisions for Injured Goalkeepers and Players
UEFA also has provisions for clubs to temporarily replace players suffering long-term injuries or illnesses.
During the league phase up to Matchday 6, a club may temporarily replace one outfield player who has been sidelined for at least 60 days, provided the replacement was registered with the club before the September 2 deadline.
Goalkeepers are covered by separate provisions. A goalkeeper unavailable for 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 end of the league phase if he leaves the club permanently.
The 2026/27 Champions League league phase is scheduled to begin on September 8, 2026, with the final set for June 5, 2027, at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid.
