By Opeyemi Adelakun
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 the European football governing body, clubs must submit their squad lists and have them verified by their respective national associations by 23:59 CET on Wednesday, September 2.
Each club can register a maximum of 25 players on List A, including at least two goalkeepers. UEFA also requires a minimum of eight places to be reserved for locally trained players.
No more than four of those eight places may be occupied by association-trained players, while clubs with fewer than eight locally trained players will have their maximum squad size reduced accordingly.
UEFA classifies locally trained players as either club-trained players who spent at least three full seasons or 36 months with the club between the ages of 15 and 21, or association-trained players who spent the same period with clubs affiliated with the same national association.
Clubs will also be allowed to register an unlimited number of eligible players on List B throughout the season. However, List B submissions must be completed by 23:59 CET on the day before the relevant match.
The regulations also permit players who featured for another club during the qualifying rounds or play-offs of the Champions League, Europa League or Conference League to represent a different club in the Champions League from the league phase.
Clubs that progress to the knockout phase will have another opportunity to modify their squads, with UEFA allowing them to register up to three new players by 23:59 CET on February 4, 2027.
The overall 25-player List A limit and the requirement for eight locally trained players will remain in force.
UEFA has also provided provisions for replacing players who suffer long-term injuries or illnesses.
During the league phase up to and including Matchday 6, clubs may temporarily replace a maximum of one outfield player who is sidelined for at least 60 days, provided the replacement was already registered with the club before the September 2 deadline.
Goalkeepers are subject to separate provisions, with those suffering injuries or illnesses lasting at least 30 days eligible for temporary replacement at any point during the season.
The 2026/27 Champions League league phase is scheduled to begin on September 8, with the final set for June 5, 2027, at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid.
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