Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid LIVE: Lineups and kickoff time of the 2026 UEFA Champions League quarterfinals first leg

Barcelona and Atletico Madrid face off in a massive 2026 UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first leg. Stay here for minute-by-minute updates of this heavyweight encounter!

Updated on April 08, 2026 02:28PM EDT

**© Getty Images**Lamine Yamal of Barcelona and Antoine Griezmann of Atletico Madrid.

Barcelona are gearing up to host a massive showdown at the Spotify Camp Nou as they clash with Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the 2026 UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.

After facing off over the weekend in LaLiga, where Barcelona defeated Atletico Madrid 2-1 at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, they now begin their Champions League quarterfinal series at the Spotify Camp Nou.

Barcelona enter this stage as the heavy favorites after crushing Newcastle 8-3 on aggregate. However, Atletico Madrid are also coming off a dominant 7-5 aggregate victory over Tottenham, leaving the series wide open.

02:20PM

Why are Raphina and Frenkie de Jong not playing?

Raphinha is not playing for Barcelona against Atletico Madrid due to a hamstring injury he suffered while playing for Brazil during a friendly against France. Meanwhile, Frenkie de Jong has been ruled out as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury sustained in late February.

02:10PM

Both teams doing warm up activities

Players for both sides have taken the field for warmups at the Spotify Camp Nou!

02:00PM

Atletico Madrid lineup confirmed!

Atletico Madrid's starting XI: Juan Musso; Nahuel Molina, Davide Hancko, Robin Le Normand, Matteo Ruggeri; Giuliano Simeone, Koke, Marcos Llorente, Ademola Lookman; Antoine Griezmann, Julian Alvarez.

XI DEL CLUB ATLÉTICO DE MADRID. pic.twitter.com/LwW56m5QJr
— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) April 8, 2026

01:50PM

Barcelona lineup confirmed!

Barcelona's starting XI: Joan Garcia; Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin, Joao Cancelo; Pedri, Eric Garcia; Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Marcus Rashford; Robert Lewandowksi.

𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐔𝐏 🔵🔴#BarçaAtleti | @ChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/S4gXRw4xgj
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 8, 2026

01:40PM

Today's referees

Istvan Kovacs has been appointed to officiate the clash between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. He will be joined on the field by Mihai Marica and Ferencz Tunyogi, who are set to serve as the assistant referees.

Full officiating team:

Referee: Istvan Kovacs (ROU)
Assistant Referee 1: Mihai Marica (ROU)
Assistant Referee 2: Ferencz Tunyogi(ROU)
Fourth official: Szabolcs Kovacs (ROU)
VAR: Christian Dingert (GER)

01:20PM

Kickoff time and where to watch

Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid will get underway at the Spotify Camp Nou at 3:00 PM (ET).

DAZN will be the primary option to watch Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid in the USA. The others options to enjoy the game are: Paramount+ and ViX.

01:00PM

Barcelona and Atletico Madrid clash in the 2026 UEFA Champions League!

Welcome to our live blog of the UEFA Champions League. Barcelona host Atletico Madrid at the Spotify Camp Nou in their first leg of the quarterfinals.

Stay with us for all the action and minute-by-minute updates of this exciting game!

Gianni Taina

Gianni Taina is a bilingual journalist, fluent in English and Spanish, with a specialization in soccer, NBA, and tennis. He began his professional career in 2020 with Mundo Deportivo US, where he first established himself as a writer. Throughout his career, Gianni has covered major sports events such as the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the NBA Finals, and Grand Slam tournaments like the French Open. His ability to report on real-time events and perform well under pressure has made him a valuable member of a top-tier team of journalists. In 2024, he joined Bolavip US, bringing his expertise in soccer, NBA, and tennis to deliver original content while providing live coverage of important events.