Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed their 22-man squad for the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League league phase — but the announcement has sparked major debate among fans after several high-profile players were excluded.
England international James Maddison, midfield enforcer Yves Bissouma, winger Dejan Kulusevski and £30 million summer signing Mathys Tel are all absent from the list. Defender Radu Dragusin and Japanese prospect Kota Takai were also dropped, leaving manager Thomas Frank with some difficult calls under UEFA’s strict registration rules.
UEFA allows clubs to register up to 25 players in their Champions League ‘List A’. However, Spurs are once again hampered by a long-standing problem: a shortage of club-trained players. Brandon Austin is the only squad member who qualifies, forcing Tottenham to leave three potential slots empty.
Maddison’s absence was anticipated after his ACL injury, while Kulusevski is sidelined with fitness concerns. But Tel’s omission is more surprising, as the French striker only joined Spurs permanently this summer after an impressive loan spell.
This issue is not new for the North London side. Previous managers have also had to sacrifice senior stars due to the imbalance between non-homegrown and association-trained quotas.
Frank will have the chance to register three new players if Spurs progress to the knockout rounds, much like last season when Djed Spence was added midway through their Europa League campaign.
Tottenham will face a challenging group including PSG, Borussia Dortmund, AS Monaco, Villarreal and Eintracht Frankfurt.
Tottenham’s Full 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
Meanwhile, PSG have submitted one of the youngest squads in the competition, averaging just 23.5 years of age, headlined by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembélé and Warren Zaïre-Emery.
#UCL #Tottenham #Spurs #Football
