Programme for Liverpool FC v Atlético de Madrid, 11 March 2020

Programme for Liverpool FC v Atlético de Madrid, UEFA Champions League football match, 11 March 2020

Liverpool FC v Atletico Madrid was the last football match played in England, prior to the first national lockdown. 52,267 people were in the crowd. It was the same day that the World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 as a pandemic.

3,000 fans travelled from Spain to Liverpool, despite a lockdown in Spain and growing numbers of coronavirus cases across Europe and the United Kingdom. Mass gatherings were still allowed in England and people continued to travel into work. On 16 March 2020 people were advised to stop non-essential contact with others, work from home where possible and self-isolate for 14 days of symptoms of a cough or fever.

Many national football leagues had already prevented attendance or had cancelled matches. There was some criticism of the Liverpool FC v Atletico Madrid match going ahead.

In the preliminary report of the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic on 12 October 2020 it stated that due to the match going ahead there was an additional 37 deaths in local hospitals. The report stated "However, it is not clear whether those deaths were as a result of attendance at the events themselves or associated activities such as travel or congregation in pubs."