Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed their squad for the 2025/26 Champions League league phase, but the announcement has raised eyebrows after several big names were left out.
James Maddison, Yves Bissouma, Dejan Kulusevski and £30m summer signing Mathys Tel are among six players excluded from the 22-man list. Radu Dragusin and Kota Takai also miss out, with Thomas Frank forced into tough decisions due to UEFA’s squad regulations.
Clubs are permitted to register up to 25 players in their Champions League ‘List A’, but Spurs have again been hit by a long-standing issue, a shortage of club-trained players. Brandon Austin is the only player who qualifies under UEFA’s strict homegrown rule, leaving three squad slots unfilled.
According to Football London, “Tottenham are not in a position to name a full 25-man squad for the Champions League due to a lack of club-trained players. Brandon Austin is the only player in that category, leaving three spots unfilled.”
Maddison’s absence was widely expected after suffering an ACL injury that is likely to rule him out for most of the season, while Kulusevski is also sidelined. The omission of Tel, however, is more surprising. The French forward only joined Spurs permanently this summer after an impressive loan spell.
This is not the first time Tottenham have faced difficulties with their European registration. Previous managers have also had to cut senior players because of the balance between non-homegrown and association-trained quotas.
Frank will have the chance to make up to three changes should Spurs progress to the knockout stages, echoing last season’s Europa League scenario when Djed Spence was added mid-competition.
Below is Tottenham Hotspur’s Champions League 22-man squad:
Goalkeepers: Guglielmo Vicario, Antonin Kinsky, Brandon Austin
Defenders: Kevin Danso, Destiny Udogie, Cristian Romero, Pedro Porro, Djed Spence, Ben Davies, Micky van de Ven
Midfielders: Joao Palhinha, Xavi Simons, Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Mohammed Kudus, Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert, Pape Matar Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur
Forwards: Richarlison, Dominic Solanke, Randal Kolo Muani
Tottenham’s return to Europe’s premier competition will see them face a tricky slate of opponents: Villarreal, Bodo/Glimt, AS Monaco, FC Copenhagen, PSG, Slavia Prague, Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt.
Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain have submitted one of the youngest squads in the competition, with an average age of just 23.5.
Their group includes stars such as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Gonçalo Ramos and Ousmane Dembélé, alongside highly rated youngsters Warren Zaïre-Emery, João Neves and Désiré Doué.
Below is PSG’s full Champions League squad for the 2025-2026 season:
Goalkeepers: Lucas Chevalier, Matvei Safonov, Martin James, Renato Marin
Defenders: Achraf Hakimi, Lucas Beraldo, Marquinhos, Illia Zabarnyi, Lucas Hernández, Nuno Mendes, David Boly, Noham Kamara, Willian Pacho
Midfielders: Fabián Ruiz, Vitinha, Kang-in Lee, Senny Mayulu, Warren Zaïre-Emery, João Neves
Forwards: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Gonçalo Ramos, Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola, Ibrahim Mbaye
