The 2026-27 Champions League is underway. Europe’s premier football competition, consisting of 36 of the best teams from around the continent, will undoubtedly once more drum up excitement. This year’s competition has some particularly interesting teams and storylines to keep an eye on.
The Favorites
Paris Saint-Germain: Where else to start but with the back-to-back defending champions, PSG? The French side plays with a dynamic, fluid style built on constant pressing, running and quick interchanges. The starting 11, nearly entirely composed of world-class players, is now further reinforced with new players, such as former Ajax winger Mika Godts, who will provide an impact off the bench. And if forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia can pick up his form from last year, PSG will take some effort to stop. If there was a hole to be poked in their squad, none of their goalkeepers are quite at the level of the outfield players, but regardless, it would be foolish to bet against PSG.
Bayern Munich: The 35-time German champions took PSG to the wire in the semi-finals last season. Like PSG, Bayern is stronger this season, bringing in PSV Eindhoven and Morocco star Ismael Saibari and German national team left-back Nathaniel Brown from Frankfurt. Bayern is one of the favorites for this year’s Ballon d’Or with English striker Harry Kane, who scored 61 goals in all competitions last season. Encouraged by an excellent supporting cast, this could be Bayern’s year.
Barcelona: After years of strict financial controls restricting their ability to improve the squad through transfers, Barcelona has finally been able to get stronger, bringing in world-class midfielder Rodri from Manchester City and winger Anthony Gordon from Newcastle. While the loss of talismanic striker Robert Lewandowski and World Cup final hero Ferran Torres may hurt, Barcelona looks primed to make their deepest run since 2015, when they last won the title.
Arsenal: After falling agonizingly short in the final last year, Arsenal will once again be among the contenders. Arsenal does not seem to have solved their primary issues last year of goal-scoring and creativity from wide spaces, but their squad looks stronger and has every chance to go one better in 2027. Arsenal are still hunting their first Champions League title and hope to finally win this year.
The Contenders:
Manchester City: There is no doubt about the quality of this Manchester City squad. Striker Erling Haaland remains one of the best strikers in the world and surrounded by creative forces like Rayan Cherki, Jérémy Doku and Antoine Semenyo, he will likely continue to score goals at a rapid clip. The midfield has essentially been rebuilt from scratch, but Elliot Anderson, Enzo Fernández and Ayyoub Bouaddi are extremely talented players and should not lead to a catastrophic drop in performances. The future of City falls entirely on their manager. With legendary manager Pep Guardiola gone, new boss Enzo Maresca has lofty expectations to live up to. Whether or not Maresca delivers will define how far City can go.
Atlético Madrid: Diego Simeone is back, yet again, for his 16th consecutive season in charge of Atlético. Last year’s semi-final run exceeded expectations because Simeone knows how to set up his team for success. Atlético, as always, will enter the Champions League with an outside shot at the trophy. New center-back Cristian Romero loves a tackle, and it seems like he will fit the Simeone system like a glove. Attacking midfielder Lee Kang-in left PSG for more game time and has looked excellent in his early appearances. Even if they can’t go all the way, Atlético won’t be an easy game for anyone.
Real Madrid: Real has frankly been a bit of a mess over the past couple of years, underscored by their choice to bring back José Mourinho as manager. While Mourinho is undoubtedly a legend of the sport, his career has been in a downward spiral for close to a decade and there’s no guarantee that he can recreate his past glories. Lingering questions remain about the midfield’s composition and whether star forwards Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Júnior can work in tandem. However, it would be foolish to write off 15-time winners Real Madrid in the Champions League.