UEFA List A and List B Explained: Squad Limits and Homegrown Rules
UEFA List A and List B explain why a player can belong to a club’s first team yet miss its Champions League squad. With the league phase beginning on 8 September, registration matters before assessing line-ups or checking our football betting sites guide. The key distinction is between the restricted senior list and a separate route for eligible youngsters; simply being under 21 does not guarantee a place on List B.
How many players can clubs register?
List A has a 25-player ceiling, but clubs must satisfy the locally trained requirements to use every place. List B sits alongside it.
| Requirement | Rule |
|---|---|
| List A | Maximum 25 players |
| Locally trained allocation | Eight reserved places |
| Association-trained contribution | Maximum four within those eight |
| Goalkeepers | Two on List A; three across both lists |
| List B | No numerical ceiling |
These are registration limits, not a requirement to select eight homegrown players in the starting XI. UEFA squad guide.
Club-trained vs association-trained: what counts?
UEFA homegrown player rules concern a player’s development history, regardless of nationality. The qualifying period is three entire seasons or 36 months within UEFA’s defined age-15-to-21 window.
| Category | Where the player developed |
|---|---|
| Club-trained | Their current club |
| Association-trained | Clubs belonging to their current club’s national association |
Four club-trained players plus four association-trained players fill the reserved allocation. With only two club-trained players and four association-trained players, the List A maximum falls to 23. Extra association-trained players cannot fill the two missing club-trained places. These examples apply the allocation in Article 31.
How does UEFA List B work?
For 2026/27, the birth-date threshold is 1 January 2005. Players must also satisfy the club-service requirement: two uninterrupted years since turning 15, or three consecutive years including no more than one year on loan within the same association. Sixteen-year-olds have a specific two-year continuous-registration provision. UEFA squad guide.
A young summer signing therefore cannot be assumed eligible. Check their registration history before interpreting an omission as an injury or selection decision.
Champions League odds: which squads can go the distance?
Registration depth matters across a European campaign. These published opening prices provide context for the title race; they are historical reference odds, not verified live UK offers.
Opening-market snapshot, checked 8 September 2026; availability at the preferred bookmakers is unconfirmed. Published opening odds.
When was the Champions League squad deadline?
The main List A deadline was 2 September 2026, already passed when this article was prepared. List B remains amendable, with submission due by 23:59 CET, as stated by UEFA, on the day before each match. UEFA registration deadlines.
Behind the floodlights and the anthem, European football has a quieter backstage: academy records, registration dates and a final empty space on a form. That space can decide which shirt stays hanging in the dressing room.
Can clubs change their squads later?
