Clubs preparing their 2026/27 Champions League squads face more than just a headcount limit this season. Under UEFA’s List A rules, at least eight of a club’s 25 permitted spots must go to locally trained players, a requirement that can actually shrink a club’s total squad size if it isn’t met. Clubs falling short of that threshold will have their overall squad limit reduced accordingly, making the homegrown quota less of a formality and more of a real constraint on roster planning.
That quota sits within a broader set of registration rules clubs must finalize by September 2, 2026, the deadline UEFA has set for List A submissions ahead of the new Champions League league phase. Squads must be submitted and validated by each club’s national association no later than 11:59pm CET that day. Alongside the locally trained player minimum, clubs can register a maximum of 25 players total, with at least two required to be goalkeepers, and no more than four of the locally trained spots allowed to be filled by players trained specifically through the club’s own association pathway rather than more broadly “locally trained.”
List B offers considerably more flexibility. Clubs can register an unlimited number of eligible players there throughout the season, provided each submission is completed by 11:59pm CET the day before the relevant match. Eligibility depends on UEFA’s age and registration requirements, generally covering players born on or after January 1, 2005, who have been registered with their club for the required period.
UEFA has also clarified a detail relevant to players who moved clubs mid-competition: those who featured for one team during the qualifying rounds or play-offs of the Champions League, Europa League, or Conference League are permitted to represent a different club once the league phase begins, offering some flexibility around summer transfers that closed after those early rounds concluded.
Further changes remain possible even after the season is underway. Clubs that advance to the knockout stage can make up to three squad changes, with any additions due by February 4, 2027. UEFA’s rules also account for injuries, allowing outfield players unavailable for at least 60 days to be temporarily replaced during the league phase up through Matchday 6, with separate provisions covering goalkeepers who become unavailable.
The league phase itself begins September 8, 2026, with the final scheduled for June 5, 2027, at Madrid’s Metropolitan Stadium.
