Champions League returns – who are favourites and players to watch?
Champions League returns – who are favourites and players to watch?. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Last season Arsenal contested the Champions League final for the first time since 2005-06, where they lost to BarcelonaWho are the players to watch?
What happened
Julien Laurens:I have picked five players to watch in this year's Champions League. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Jude Bellingham and Martin Odegaard have been picked as players to watch this Champions League campaignWhat do the stats say? The Champions League is back and BBC Sport take a look at who the favourites are to win the title plus predictions from the experts. Roma being back in the Champions League is great and they're a very entertaining team to watch again.
According to Opta, last year's runners-up Arsenal are the overall favourites to win the Champions League (20. Latest Champions League tableChampions League scores & fixturesFollow the latest Champions League newsListen to the latest Football Daily podcastGet football news sent straight to your phonePublished28 AugustWatch highlights of every Champions League game from 22:00 on Wednesday on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. How a game show gave Dambrauskas his breakAs Sabah's players and staff celebrated reaching the Champions League two weeks ago, unbeknownst to Dambrauskas he was becoming a social media star.
The wider picture
"Goalkeeper Koeman Jr scores twice in Eredivisie drawHow a goalkeeper's van trip ended with a new clubPublished13 hours agoChampions League scores & fixturesWatch highlights of every Champions League game from 22:00 on Wednesday on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Paris St-Germain could become the first team to win three Champions League titles in a row since Real Madrid (2015-18)Published4 minutes agoThe Champions League is back – who will get their hands on the famous trophy in Madrid on 5 June next year?
Don't forget the BBC will again show highlights of the Champions League this season. From 22:00 BST on the Wednesday of Champions League weeks, there will be match-by-match highlights available on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app, plus a special Champions League Match of the Day on BBC One at 22:40. It's their first time in the Champions League. Lens are back in the Champions League having pushed PSG all the way last year in Ligue 1 – and Ismaelo Ganiou is arguably their best player.
Teenager Lamine Yamal is hungry for more and has set his sights on the Champions League. There will also be a Champions League Match of the Day on BBC One on Wednesday, from 22:40 to 00:00.
What has been reported
Figure caption, Sabah's Valdas Dambrauskas looks ahead to Manchester United and Arsenal gamesByDale JohnsonFootball issues correspondentPublished7 September 2026, 09:04 BSTOn Thursday, Valdas Dambrauskas will walk out at Old Trafford as manager of Sabah in the Champions League. It is a tale of casual jobs, a determination to succeed and a nomadic coaching career across Europe – which now brings the 49-year-old back to England in the Champions League with the Azerbaijani club. "As well as the trip to Manchester United this week, Sabah will complete their Champions League group games at Arsenal in January.
Champions League 'beyond imagination'Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Sabah needed a dramatic late goal in the second leg of their play-off against Hapoel Beer-Sheva before going on to qualify for the Champions LeagueDambrauskas had to navigate four knockout ties to get Sabah to the Champions League, and they are the only club to make it all the way through from the first qualifying round. "To go to the Champions League is something beyond imagination," Dambrauskas said.
"Now I'm going to come back as a coach in the Champions League and hear that anthem. Related topicsFootballUEFA Champions LeagueManchester UnitedEuropean Football There was an errorWatch every goal from the opening weekend of the Women's Super League 2026-27 season.
What happens next
A decade ago in September 2016, Leicester City were getting ready to play in the Champions League. Skip to main content Skip to navigation Champions League Power Rankings before MD1: Who's No. Man United should put WSL on notice3dTom HamiltonTrue-cost ranking: The 50 most expensive Premier League transfers this summer3dRyan O'HanlonplayLuis Enrique targets third straight Champions League title with PSG (0:57)James TylerSep 7, 2026, 04:50 AM ETCloseJames Tyler is an ESPN editor for soccer. Multiple AuthorsEmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe UEFA Champions League is back for another season and, fresh off the Aug.
Here are your Champions League Power Rankings before Matchday 1. But first, some brief methodologyAs we have done with other competitions, we're asking 19 of our reporters around the world to assess the UEFA Champions League from a contenders vs. pretenders perspective. Will it be enough? play1:18Can Mourinho win the Champions League with Real Madrid?
The report has been compiled by The Daily Waves using information reported across bbc.co.uk, skysports.com. Details are presented according to the information available at the time of publication and may change as authorities, organisers or other relevant parties provide updates.