Luis Enrique’s side certainly look like potential winners yet again, though they will face tough competition from a whole host of clubs. Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid have both strengthened their squads, though their spending doesn’t come close to matching that of the Premier League‘s top clubs, with Liverpool and Arsenal having splashed out huge amounts to bolster their chances of continental success.
Club World Cup winners Chelsea will also fancy their chances, as will Manchester City despite their struggles of the past 12 months. Elsewhere, Bayern Munich are back to being the dominant force in Germany, which could aide their chances of winning knockout games late in the competition, while Inter will be eyeing another trip to the final despite a summer of upheaval at San Siro.
But who will come out on top? BALLGM’s writers have had their say on who they think will claim the trophy:
Luis Enrique’s side certainly look like potential winners yet again, though they will face tough competition from a whole host of clubs. Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid have both strengthened their squads, though their spending doesn’t come close to matching that of the Premier League’s top clubs, with Liverpool and Arsenal having splashed out huge amounts to bolster their chances of continental success.
Club World Cup winners Chelsea will also fancy their chances, as will Manchester City despite their struggles of the past 12 months. Elsewhere, Bayern Munich are back to being the dominant force in Germany, which could aide their chances of winning knockout games late in the competition, while Inter will be eyeing another trip to the final despite a summer of upheaval at San Siro.
But who will come out on top? BALLGM’s writers have had their say on who they think will claim the trophy:
Joe Strange: Barcelona’s porous defence robbed us of potentially one of the all-time great Champions League finals last season, but it’ll be a different story this time around. Hansi Flick’s talented youngsters have another year of experience under their belts, while new goalkeeper Joan Garcia already looks like a smart addition. And even if Barca aren’t the strongest side defensively in the competition, their fearsome frontline has the ability to rip apart the very best Europe has to offer. Expect their long-awaited return to Camp Nou to provide a spark in the knockout stages, plenty of goals and talisman Lamine Yamal to lift the trophy in Budapest.
Richard Martin: Real Madrid are always are the safest bet in the Champions League. Los Blancos have won 21 percent of the total number of European Cups, and since the turn of the century they have lifted eight of a possible 26. But even leaving aside statistical probability and the fact that hoisting Europe’s biggest prize is in the club’s DNA, it is difficult to look past Madrid. Kylian Mbappe is still the best attacker in the world on his day, and if does not get you then Vinicius Jr will. Indeed, Madrid’s squad is so packed with talent that Trent Alexander-Arnold, Rodrygo and Federico Valverde are not assured of starting berths. To boot, they now have one of the most astute managers around in Xabi Alonso, who is one of the most tactically proficient coaches around and someone who understands the needs of a modern dressing room.
James Westwood: Barcelona will go one better than last season and clinch their first European crown since 2015. Led by the sensational Lamine Yamal, Barca were by far the best attacking side in the competition in 2024-25 and extremely unfortunate not to at least make the final, ultimately undone by defensive lapses against an inferior Inter side. With youngster Roony Bardghji starting to bloom and Marcus Rashford having arrived on loan, Barca have even more firepower this time around, and will fear no one. The early signs this season suggest they will be more solid at the back, too, with new goalkeeper Joan Garcia already commanding his box far better than Wojciech Szczesny and Inaki Pena. Hansi Flick’s swashbuckling team could storm to the trophy at a canter if they avoid any serious injuries.
Mark Doyle: I see six potential winners as it stands: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, Arsenal, Bayern Munich and PSG. However, for all Kylian Mbappe’s brilliance, it’s hard to see Xabi Alonso conquering Europe in his first season in charge of a still-unbalanced Madrid side. Barca have attackers capable of tearing any defence to shreds, but Hansi Flick’s high line remains a serious cause for concern. As for Liverpool and Arsenal, they undeniably have the depth to go all the way, but the gruelling nature of the Premier League will probably still take too much out of the two best teams in England. That leaves Bayern and PSG, the only legitimate contenders capable of regularly rotating key players given the weakness of their respective leagues. Consequently, I’m picking PSG to retain their title, given Luis Enrique’s squad is stronger than that of Vincent Kompany.
Thomas Hindle: It’s strange to be heading into a Champions League season where Real Madrid aren’t favourites, while you’d have to say a PSG repeat is possible, but early injuries to a couple of big names looks a bit ominous considering there’s a long season coming up. It will be a question of depth this year, regardless of which league you play in, and for that reason, it’s pretty hard to look past Liverpool, who are two deep at pretty much every spot. An injury to Virgil Van Dijk would obviously hurt, but can any team can survive without their most important player? Arne Slot had an excellent first season; his second might just be even better.
Stephen Darwin: It’s got to be Barca’s year. If it weren’t for veteran Francesco Acerbi’s sizable right boot, there’s every chance Hansi Flick’sside would’ve been crowned champions of Europe last season. They were seconds away from getting past Inter in that memorable semi-final tie and would’ve undoubtedly been more of a match for PSG in the final. Still, they’ll have learned lessons from that agonisingdefeat and will be ready to go again. They possess the best player on the planet in Lamine Yamal and have a strong enough squad, with talent in all areas, to go deep in 2025-26. There are legitimate question marks about the solidity of the defence, but if they can find some consistency then they have as good a chance as anyone of lifting thetrophy that’s eluded them since 2015.
Amee Ruszkai: It’s hard to look past PSG again. The manner in which Luis Enrique’s side picked up their first Champions League title last season was so impressive, with their squad full of top talent in every position. Yes, there is pressure on Lucas Chevalier to follow in the footsteps of Gianluigi Donnarumma and the Parisians’ transfer window overall wasn’t exactly headline-grabbing. That said, no one in Europe really laid down a marker in terms of serious levelling up above PSG with their summer business. This was the best team on the continent last term and they look capable of being that yet again.
Sean Walsh: The world wanted to see a PSG vs Barcelona final last year, and if not for the spirited veterans of Inter, that’s what we would have been treated to. Alas, the Nerazzurri were dealt their comeuppance with an embarrassment in Munich, and that’s surely the last we’ll see of the men from San Siro at this stage for a while. This time around, Barcelona should be stronger for that experience, even if their defence still looks shaky to begin the season and holes are still being picked in their squad. What they do have, however, is arguably the best player in the world in Lamine Yamal, who has set his sights on multiple Ballon d’Or triumphs. Winning the Champions League and World Cup in the same season would all but guarantee him his first, and that’s quite a realistic possibility. I’d rather hedge my bets on Yamal and be proven wrong there than go against him and look like a fool for ever doubting him.
Krishan Davis: I’m compelled to put PSG’s name down with every part of my being here, but given that it’s been nigh on impossible for anyone that isn’t Real Madrid to win back-to-back Champions Leagues in the modern era, I’m going to look elsewhere. If not PSG, then it’s surely going to be Liverpool or Barcelona who claim European glory in Budapest, and on the basis of just how complete their squad is, I think the Reds have the edge. This is contingent on Arne Slot’s side getting better and better as the season progresses after a solid-if-unspectacular start, but after a mind-boggling summer of spending they now have a fearsome group of players at their disposal and should be capable of winning it all.
