UEFA Sets September 2 Deadline for Champions League Squad Registration

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.

The European football governing body said clubs must submit their squads, which will then be verified and validated by their respective national associations, by 23:59 CET on Wednesday, September 2.

Clubs are permitted to register a maximum of 25 players on List A for the competition, subject to UEFA’s squad composition requirements.

According to UEFA, at least two of the 25 players must be goalkeepers, while a minimum of eight places must be reserved for locally trained players.

However, clubs cannot list more than four association-trained players among those eight designated places.

UEFA explained that clubs with fewer than eight locally trained players would have their maximum List A squad size reduced accordingly.

The organisation classifies locally trained players into two categories: club-trained players and association-trained players.

Club-trained players are those who have been registered with their club for at least three full seasons, or 36 months, between the ages of 15 and 21.

Association-trained players must have spent the same period registered with a club or clubs affiliated with the same national association.

In addition to List A, clubs can register an unlimited number of eligible players on List B during the season.

Unlike List A, List B can be amended throughout the campaign, with clubs required to submit changes no later than 23:59 CET on the day before the relevant match.

UEFA said a player can qualify for List B if they were born on or after January 1, 2005, and have been eligible to play for their club for an uninterrupted period of two years since their 15th birthday.

Players who have spent a total of three consecutive years with the club can also qualify, provided any loan spell at another club from the same association does not exceed one year.

Sixteen-year-old players may also be eligible for List B if they have been continuously registered with the club for the previous two years.

The registration requirements are expected to play an important role as clubs finalise their squads ahead of the 2026/27 Champions League league phase.

Teams must ensure their submissions comply with UEFA’s player eligibility, squad-size and locally trained-player requirements before the deadline