Who should be my Champions League Fantasy captain for Matchday 1?

Selecting a high-performing captain is crucial to getting off to a positive start in #UCLfantasy, so here’s some options you may want to consider on Matchday 1.

TUESDAY 14 SEPTEMBER

Cristiano Ronaldo (€11.0m) vs Young Boys (A)

Manchester United fans will still be pinching themselves following Ronaldo's return and they will be eager to see him in UEFA Champions League action against Young Boys. With this match being one of the early kick-offs on Tuesday, many #UCLfantasy managers will be quick to captain the Portuguese star if it's revealed that he's in Ole Gunnar Solskjær's starting line-up. The first 15 of his 134 goals in the competition came during his first stint at Old Trafford – including one in the 2008 final, which United won on penalties – and given that he recently became the all-time leading goalscorer in international football, should be in the mood to add to his UEFA Champions League tally.

Romelu Lukaku (€10.5m) vs Zenit (H)

Much like Ronaldo, Lukaku has returned to his former club this summer and the Belgian wasted no time in opening his Chelsea account by scoring against Arsenal on his second debut for the club. Lukaku continued in the same manner on international duty as he reached 100 caps for Belgium and scored three goals across his two recent appearances for them. The 28-year-old should add a clinical edge to a Chelsea side who conquered Europe last season and will begin their defence against Zenit at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, with Lukaku now looking to score his first UEFA Champions League goal for the club.

WEDNESDAY 15 SEPTEMBER

Erling Haaland (€11.0m) vs Beşiktaş (A)

As a testament to his exploits since he burst on to the European scene with Salzburg in the 2019/20 season, Haaland is the highest-owned player heading into Matchday 1 with over half the #UCLfantasy managers seeing fit to the include the Dortmund star in their squads. Having finished last season as the top scorer in the UEFA Champions League, Haaland has begun the season in typically ruthless fashion with 11 goals in eight appearances for club and country and it would be no surprise to see him get off to a flying start against Beşiktaş. If the leading captaincy candidates on Tuesday fail to deliver significant returns, then a significant portion of Haaland's #UCLfantasy ownership will captain him on Wednesday, and it's almost impossible to make a case against it.

Lionel Messi (€11.0m) vs Club Brugge (A)

Having said that, those that opt for Messi on Wednesday – should they need to – would do so in the knowledge that they are putting their faith in a player capable of delivering massive #UCLfantasy returns. The Argentinian has a long and storied history in the UEFA Champions League and will be determined to add a fresh chapter for new club Paris Saint-Germain. Having already made his debut for the Ligue 1 side as well as featuring for Argentina during the recent international break, Messi's match sharpness will not be in question by the time Paris make the trip to Club Brugge. On 120 UEFA Champions League goals and counting, Messi's captaincy credentials are undeniable.