Meet the 2026/27 Champions League league phase teams

UEFA coefficient ranking: 84
How they qualified: Play-off winners
Last season: Conference League quarter-finalists
Best European Cup performance: Quarter-finals (1968/69)

Coach: Marko Nikolić
Nikolić won league titles in Serbia and Hungary during the 2010s and added a Greek championship to his haul with AEK last term. The Serbian coach was rewarded with a contract extension until 2029 after such a successful debut campaign.

Key player: Luka Jović
Jović won attention with a stellar campaign in 2018/19, scoring 17 league goals and 10 Europa League goals for Eintracht Frankfurt. A move to Real Madrid followed but Jović never really found his feet in the Spanish capital, arriving in Athens in 2025 via Fiorentina and Milan. Seventeen goals in 29 league games marked an impressive first season in Greece.

Big summer signing: Oleksandr Zubkov
Experienced winger Zubkov arrives in Athens after helping Trabzonspor to a Turkish Cup success last season. The Ukraine international has impressive creative faculties, highlighted by 12 league assists in 2025/26, and adds Champions League experience to the AEK dressing room from his time with Shakhtar and Ferencváros.

One to watch: Zini
Angola international Zini was used somewhat sparingly in his first AEK season but showed plenty of attacking promise when on the field, most of all in the Conference League quarter-finals when his two second-leg goals almost inspired a turnaround against Rayo Vallecano.

2025/26 season
AEK Athens won their 14th Greek league title and enjoyed a run to the quarter-finals of the Conference League in Marko Nikolić’s first season in charge.

Did you know?
AEK Athens have reached the group stage/league phase of the Champions League once in each of the past four decades.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 7
How they qualified: First in England
Last season: Champions League final
Best European Cup performance: Runners-up (2005/06, 2025/26)
Top Fantasy Football points scorer last season: Gabriel (79)

Coach: Mikel Arteta
Assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City from 2016 to 2019, Arteta guided Arsenal to a 14th FA Cup title in his first season in charge. After eighth and fifth-placed Premier League finishes in 2021 and 2022 respectively, Arteta's team finished runners-up in each of the following three campaigns before they finally tasted title success last season, along with a berth in the Champions League final, which they narrowly lost on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain.

Key player: Bukayo Saka
Saka came through the ranks before his break-out season with the Gunners in 2019/20. Blessed with creativity and fine finishing ability, the right-winger passed 60 league goals and 300 total appearances for the club last term. He played a key role in ending Arsenal's 22-year wait for a league title.

Big summer signing: Bruno Guimarães
The creative midfielder scored 30 goals in his 153 league appearances for Newcastle, who he joined after a two-year spell at Lyon. He became the first Magpies captain to lift a domestic trophy in 70 years after leading the team to League Cup final success against Liverpool in 2025, and is closing on 50 caps for Brazil following their World Cup campaign.

One to watch: Max Dowman
The 2025/26 season was record-breaking for teenage midfielder Max Dowman, who became the youngest-ever Champions League player at the age of 15 years 308 days as he was introduced as a substitute against Slavia Praha in November. The attacking midfielder is now also the youngest-ever Premier League goalscorer after he netted against Everton during the Gunners' title-winning campaign, and it seems the sky is the limit for this talented youngster.

2025/26 season
The Gunners marked their 100th consecutive season in the English top tier by winning their first Premier League title since 2003/04, and their 14th in total. Defeat on penalties by Paris in the Champions League final did not take too much gloss off the celebrations, as an estimated one million fans took to the streets to cheer the team on during their open-top bus trip around north London.

Did you know?
Arsenal became the first team to finish the league phase with a 100% record last season and reached their second Champions League final without losing a game.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 17
How they qualified: Europa League winners
Last season: Europa League winners
Best European Cup performance: Winners (1981/82)

Coach: Unai Emery
The former Real Sociedad and Toledo midfielder underlined his extraordinary record in the UEFA Europa League by winning the competition for the fifth time with Villa last season, following three successes with Sevilla and one at Villarreal. In charge at Villa Park since 2022, he took the club to the Champions League quarter-finals in 2024/25, where they lost to eventual winners Paris.

Key player: Boubacar Kamara
"One of the best midfielders in Europe", according to Villa captain John McGinn. Frenchman Kamara is Villa's humble, unassuming star, a player who makes those around him better and does the simple things exceptionally well. The club's win rate with him in the team since he arrived from Marseille in January 2022 is close to 60%; without him, it drops to 40%.

Big summer signing: Johan Manzambi
A member of the Freiburg team defeated by Villa in last season's Europa League final, Manzambi scooped the competition's Revelation of the Season award for his impressive part in the German club's landmark campaign. The young forward carried that form into the summer's World Cup, finishing as Switzerland's three-goal top scorer and providing two assists.

One to watch: Brian Madjo
Madjo became the youngest starter and youngest scorer in Super Cup history as Aston Villa narrowly lost out to Paris in August. As well as those landmarks, a formidable all-round performance added to the excitement around the teenage striker. Madjo's work ethic won praise from midfielder Emiliano Buendía while captain John McGinn lauded the "absolutely fantastic" performance before looking ahead: "He's going to be a big player for us this season."

2025/26 season
After a slow start, an eight-game winning streak (their best top-flight run since 1910) was among the highlights of a fine Premier League campaign, in which Emery's side finished fourth. The Villans beat Freiburg 3-0 in the Europa League final to win their first continental title since the 1981/82 European Cup.

Did you know?
Prince William, heir to the English throne, celebrated Villa's Europa League success with the team in Istanbul last season; he has been a fan of the team since his school days.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 10
How they qualified: Fourth in Spain
Last season: Semi-finalists
Best European Cup performance: Runners-up (1973/74, 2013/14, 2015/16)
Top Fantasy Football points scorer last season: Julián Alvarez (96)

Coach: Diego Simeone
Now in his 16th season at the helm (he arrived in December 2011), Simeone has qualified for the last 14 editions of the Champions League. As well as winning two La Liga titles with Atleti, he has also led the club to two Europa League victories, two UEFA Super Cups and two Champions League finals. The ultimate European crown has evaded him so far, though, with last season's semi-final finish another near miss, and it is still the one big trophy missing from his cabinet.

Key player: Julián Alvarez
After making an impressive impact in his first season for the club with seven Champions League goals (29 in all competitions), Alvarez underlined his status as Atleti's key man in 2025/26. La Araña (the Spider), who was previously prolific at River Plate and Manchester City, scored ten Champions League goals and created four assists, and is perennially at the heart of everything positive for his side going forward.

Big summer signing: Morten Hjulmand
The 27-year-old defensive midfielder appears tailor-made for Simeone's Champions League regulars. A star at Austrian side Admira Wacker and then Lecce, where he won the Serie B title and became their captain aged just 23, he moved to Sporting CP in 2023. The 2024 Danish footballer of the Year played 20 Champions League games for the Portuguese outfit in the past two seasons.

One to watch: Obed Vargas
The 21-year-old has been playing international football for Mexico since 2024 thanks to several seasons in the first team at MLS side Seattle Sounders. The central midfielder joined Atleti in February 2026 and made 13 appearances in the second half of the campaign, his relentless work rate and determination fitting right in with Simeone's team ethic.

2025/26 season
In what was forward Antoine Griezmann's last campaign with the club, Atleti finished fourth in the Spanish table, were eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals and lost to Real Sociedad on penalties in the final of the Copa del Rey.

Did you know?
Atleti winger Giuliano Simeone is the son of coach Diego Simeone; one of Simeone's other sons, Giovanni, plays for Champions League rivals Torino.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 8
How they qualified: First in Spain
Last season: Quarter-finalists
Best European Cup performance: Winners (1991/92, 2005/06, 2008/09, 2010/11, 2014/15)
Top Fantasy Football points scorer last season: Anthony Gordon (90)

Coach: Hansi Flick
Flick guided Bayern to a Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League treble, and won the UEFA Men's Coach of the Year award in 2020. After further domestic success the following season, Flick took over the Germany national team, with his tenure ending in 2023. The third German coach in Barcelona's history, Flick led the club to a domestic treble in the 2024/25 campaign and another La Liga title last season.

Key player: Lamine Yamal
A generational talent, Yamal broke further new ground last season, becoming the youngest player to reach 30 Champions League appearances at just 18 years 240 days. He shone again for Barcelona on the biggest stage, scoring six goals and creating four assists as he continued to create headaches for the best defences in Europe.

Big summer signing: Rodri
The 30-year-old midfielder chalked up 298 appearances, scooped nine domestic trophies and scored the winning goal against Inter in the 2023 Champions League final across a stellar seven years at Manchester City. The 2024 Ballon d'Or winner has been equally imperious at international level, where he has won a EURO, a World Cup and the Nations League – he was voted player of the tournament in all three to boot.

One to watch: Marc Bernal
A sharp reader of the game, holding midfielder Marc Bernal enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2025/26. After making his Champions League debut against Paris on Matchday 2, the teenage midfielder added three more league phase appearances before starting in both last-16 matches against Newcastle. He celebrated his first Champions League goal in the 7-2 second-leg win.

2025/26 season
After lengthy reconstruction work, Barcelona moved back into their Camp Nou home in November 2025. They bowed out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals but celebrated a second successive La Liga title, winning all 19 of their home league games in the process.

Did you know?
Barcelona have claimed the most first-place group stage/league phase finishes in the Champions League era, with a total of 19 – which includes 13 in a row between 2007/08 and 2019/20.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 1
How they qualified: First in Germany
Last season: Semi-finalists
Best European Cup performance: Winners (1973/74, 1974/75, 1975/76, 2000/01, 2012/13, 2019/20)
Top Fantasy Football points scorer last season: Harry Kane (103)

Coach: Vincent Kompany
Once a defender for Manchester City and Belgium, Kompany's attacking style guarantees plenty of goals, but it also involves risks, perhaps best demonstrated in his side's extraordinary 5-4 semi-final first-leg loss to Paris last season – widely regarded as one of the best Champions League games of all time. He has guided his team to two Bundesliga titles and will now be desperate to add the Champions League to his collection of trophies.

Key player: Harry Kane
Since his move from Tottenham Hotspur – he is the club's record goalscorer (280) – in summer 2023, Kane has finished as Bundesliga top marksman for three straight seasons. He has amassed 33 goals in 38 Champions League appearances for the club heading into this campaign, and continues to lead from the front. The England captain is also his country's greatest marksman, taking his tally to 85 by the end of the 2026 World Cup.

Big summer signing: Ismael Saibari
One of Saibari's three Champions League goals last season came against Bayern in the league phase, but the Moroccan international now aims to boost the Bavarian club's attack following his summer move from PSV. "Vincent Kompany played a key role in my decision – I'm looking forward to working with him," the forward said on his unveiling.

One to watch: Lennart Karl
Karl became the youngest Champions League scorer in Bayern history when he scored within five minutes of his first start in the competition last season. Coach Vincent Kompany pointed out that "this isn't normal" after the then 17-year-old struck against Club Brugge, and the electric dribbler continued to do the extraordinary as Bayern reached the semi-finals – scoring against Arsenal and Sporting CP in the league phase and Atalanta in the round of 16.

2025/26 season
After winning their first 13 games of the season, Bayern's German title never seemed in doubt, and they duly claimed a 35th league crown with four games to spare, finishing the campaign with a Bundesliga-record 122 goals. They also won the German Cup but were edged out by eventual winners Paris in the Champions League semi-finals.

Did you know?
Real Madrid vs Bayern is the most-played fixture in the history of the European Cup/Champions League. The clubs have met on 30 occasions, winning 13 times each, but never in the final.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 32
How they qualified: Play-off winners
Last season: Champions League round of 16
Best European Cup performance: Round of 16 (2025/26)
Top Fantasy Football points scorer last season: Jens Petter Hauge (67)

Coach: Kjetil Knutsen
Knutsen has been a revelation ever since initially joining as an assistant in 2017. Appointed head coach the following season, Knutsen has guided his side to four Norwegian Premier Division titles and added a remarkable run to the Champions League round of 16 last season to their progress to the Europa League semi-finals a year before. Regarded as an inspirational, motivational figure, Knutsen has already cemented himself as a Bodø legend.

Key player: Patrick Berg
While Bodø’s style heavily relies on every member of the team playing their part, captain Berg is the player that seems to make everything tick. The central midfielder’s creativity and range of passing proved pivotal in their Champions League and Europa League runs over the past two seasons, and the Norway international has proved to be a leader both on and off the pitch in his second spell at the club.

Big summer signing: Joshua Kitolano
The 25-year-old midfielder arrived on a free transfer this summer after a fine campaign in the Dutch first division with Sparta Rotterdam, headlined by 32 appearances, five goals and two assists. Two of his brothers, John and Eric, also play in Norway’s top flight.

One to watch: Andreas Helmersen
Bodø/Glimt return to the league phase without Kasper Høgh, who scored five Champions League goals last term, but that is a blow softened by the presence of Helmersen. Now wearing the No9 shirt, Helmersen showed his prolific qualities in qualifying, producing a standout moment in the form of a 117th-minute winner against Union SG in the third qualifying round.

2025/26 season
Bodø narrowly missed out on a third consecutive league title in Norway but made headlines during a dazzling Champions League debut. Victories against Manchester City and Atleti helped secure passage from the league phase before a memorable knockout phase play-off triumph against Inter.

Did you know?
Bodø became the first Norwegian side to win three, four and five consecutive matches in the Champions League proper last term.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 11
How they qualified: Second in Germany
Last season: Champions League knockout phase play-offs
Best European Cup performance: Winners (1996/97)
Top Fantasy Football points scorer last season: Felix Nmecha (53)

Coach: Niko Kovač
Berlin-born former Croatia captain Kovač took charge at Dortmund in January 2025, with his brother and former international team-mate Robert working as his assistant. As a coach, he took charge of his national team from 2013–15, won the German Cup with Frankfurt in 2017/18 and then led Bayern to a domestic double in 2018/19.

Key player: Serhou Guirassy
Born in Arles, France, the Guinean international forward has been a late bloomer as a striker, enjoying his first 30-goal campaign at Stuttgart in 2023/24, then going eight goals better with Dortmund the following season – when he finished as joint-top scorer in the Champions League with 13 strikes. The 30-year-old hit 22 in all competitions in 2025/26.

Big summer signing: Giannis Konstantelias
The 23-year-old attacking midfielder has been hailed as the present and future of Greek football for some time now. He reached double figures for goals in each of the past three seasons for PAOK, and has been a regular in UEFA club competitions in that time too. A title winner in 2023/24, he followed that up by becoming Best Greek Player of the Season at the Super League Greece awards the following year.

One to watch: Jobe Bellingham
Following in the footsteps of older brother Jude at Dortmund, Jobe carved out his own reputation as a dynamic midfielder in his first season. "I feel most comfortable in the middle of the pitch, where everything happens around me," Bellingham says of his all-action style. It shows in the stats too – only Ramy Bensebaini made more tackles for Dortmund in the 2025/26 Champions League.

2025/26 season
Having finished 17th in the league phase, Dortmund lost to Atalanta in the Champions League knockout phase play-offs. They could not trouble an overwhelming Bayern side in the Bundesliga, but finished second, eight points ahead of third-ranked Leipzig.

Did you know?
In their biggest continental achievement to date, Dortmund beat Juventus 3-1 in the 1997 Champions League final, which was played at the home of their Bundesliga rivals Bayern.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 23
How they qualified: First in Belgium
Last season: Champions League knockout phase play-offs
Best European Cup performance: Runners-up (1977/78)
Top Fantasy Football points scorer last season: Hans Vanaken (55)

Coach: Ivan Leko
A midfielder for Club Brugge from 2005–09, Leko returned for a second spell in charge of the club in December 2025. In two seasons at the helm from 2017–19, he won the title and the Belgian Super Cup. He also helped Antwerp lift the 2019/20 Belgian Cup and steered Hajduk Split to 2022/23 Croatian Cup success, before winning the Belgian league again with Club Brugge in 2025/26.

Key player: Hans Vanaken
The Belgian international is 34 but remains the beating heart of Club Brugge, dictating play from midfield. He joined from Lokeren in summer 2015 and has now passed 550 appearances in all competitions and 150 goals for the side. Last season, he passed the 100 mark in terms of UEFA club competition appearances.

Big summer signing: Yann Sommer
Sommer reached two Champions League finals in three seasons at Inter before trading Milan for Bruges this summer. Thirty-eight in December, Sommer made 94 appearances for Switzerland at international level and has made more appearances in UEFA club competition than any of his compatriots, past and present.

One to watch: Joaquin Seys
Full-back Seys has played in Club Brugge colours since he was seven years old and made his first-team break in the summer of 2024. Seys has proven himself an adaptable and important member of the squad since, shown by eight Champions League starts and two assists last term. He also earned a senior Belgium debut in October 2025 before representing his country at the World Cup.

2025/26 season
Leko replaced Nicky Hayen as coach midway through the campaign, but Atleti proved too strong for Club Brugge in the Champions League knockout phase play-offs. However, there was significant consolation as they earned their 20th Belgian league title.

Did you know?
Club Brugge lost to Liverpool in the 1978 European Cup final, having beaten Atleti and Juventus, among others, to get to the showpiece at Wembley.

UEFA coefficient ranking: N/A
How they qualified: Fourth in Italy
Last season: N/A
Best European Cup performance: N/A

Coach: Cesc Fàbregas
As a playmaking midfielder, Fàbregas made 104 Champions League appearances for Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea, and 110 appearances for the all-conquering Spain side that won two EUROs and a World Cup from 2008–12. In his first coaching job, the 39-year-old has led Como into Europe for the first time.

Key player: Nico Paz
Creative midfielder Nico Paz has been a revelation since arriving at Como in the summer of 2024, registering six league goals and nine assists in his debut season – Como's first back in Serie A since 2003 – before following that up with 12 goals and seven set-ups last term. The Argentinian international came through the academies of Tenerife and Real Madrid, making three senior Champions League appearances with the latter before seeking pastures new in August 2024.

Big summer signing: Trevoh Chalobah
Chalobah made the move from Chelsea this off-season following 151 appearances for his boyhood club since his debut in 2021, including 17 appearances in the Champions League. A strong all-around centre-back, who has also played at right-back, the 27-year-old's experience is likely to be called upon plenty in this season's league phase.

One to watch: Jacobo Ramón
Another who made the switch from Real Madrid to Como, Spanish centre-back Jacobo Ramón started 32 matches in Serie A last season. A towering figure at nearly two metres tall, Ramón blends standout aerial ability with excellent technical quality. Away from football, his idol is tennis legend Rafael Nadal: "What made him strong was his mentality and his head. I would like to learn those things."

2025/26 season
A 4-1 win against Cremonese in their final game of the season confirmed that Como would finish in one of Serie A's Champions League positions, a huge achievement for a side that had only been promoted back to the top tier in 2024.

Did you know?
Arsenal great Thierry Henry and the club's current coach Cesc Fàbregas are both minority shareholders at Como.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 42
How they qualified: Play-off winners
Last season: Europa League knockout phase play-offs
Best European Cup performance: Quarter-finals (2007/08)

Coach: İsmail Kartal
İsmail Kartal made more than 250 Fenerbahçe appearances during his playing days and started a fourth spell as head coach of the Turkish club in June. “We have very special memories together from the past,” he said upon taking charge.

Key player: Talisca
An attacking midfielder with experience in Brazil, Portugal, Saudi Arabia and China as well as Türkiye, Talisca’s goal threat is a major asset to Fenerbahçe. His 19 league goals last term was the highest among team-mates and bettered by only two players in Türkiye’s top flight. The No94 was also one of only four players to score a Europa League hat-trick in 2025/26.

Big summer signing: Romelu Lukaku
One of the all-time leading scorers in men’s international football, Lukaku has been similarly prolific with the eight clubs he has represented before arriving in Istanbul this summer. The move is a homecoming of sorts for the Belgian striker, who explained: “It is an emotional moment to be going back to Türkiye where I lived as a young kid, where I discovered the professional world as a toddler with my dad.”

One to watch: Dorgeles Nene
Entering his second season with Fenerbahçe, Mali international Dorgeles Nene does not yet have the history of others in the Fenerbahçe attack, but is a force to be reckoned with nonetheless. The diminutive winger is a skilled creator as well as finisher, supplying seven assists to go along with 10 league goals in his first season.

2025/26 season
Fenerbahçe moved on from José Mourinho in August and had interim coaches either side of Domenico Tedesco’s tenure (September to April) as they finished as runners-up in Türkiye. They reached the knockout phase of the Europa League but lost to Nottingham Forest in the play-offs.

Did you know?
Fenerbahçe are competing in the main stage of the Champions League for the first time since 2008/09.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 27
How they qualified: Second in Netherlands
Last season: Europa League league phase
Best European Cup performance: Winners (1969/70)

Coach: Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Van Bronckhorst replaced Robin van Persie in the summer having spent four years at the Feyenoord helm in his first spell as coach, winning the Eredivisie title in 2016/17 and two Dutch Cups, before stints with Guangzhou, Rangers and Beşiktaş. He also had two periods at Feyenoord as a player, likewise winning two Dutch Cups, and picked up titles with Rangers, Arsenal and Barcelona. The 2005/06 Champions League winner with Barcelona also made 106 appearances for the Netherlands.

Key player: Ayase Ueda
Ueda surpassed 100 Feyenoord appearances last term as he put together his finest season since arriving from Cercle Brugge in August 2023. The Japanese international scored a league-leading 25 Dutch top-flight goals, eight more than his closest challenger Mika Godts of Ajax.

Big summer signing: Nacho Ferri
Spanish forward Ferri attracted the attention of Feyenoord after a productive campaign with Belgian side Westerlo, whom he joined from Frankfurt in July 2025. His third at senior level, the 2025/26 season ended with Ferri notching 11 goals and making four assists across 37 appearances for his club. Twenty-two in October, Ferri finds poetry in his summer switch: "From 't Kuipje in Westerlo to De Kuip in Rotterdam: it feels like the perfect move."

One to watch: Givairo Read
Young right-back Read debuted for Feyenoord in February 2024 before consolidating his place across the past two seasons. Read made 26 league appearances and provided an impressive seven assists in 2024/25 before adding a further 16 and three despite injury issues in 2025/26. In the intervening summer, he captained Netherlands to their maiden Under-19 EURO title.

2025/26 season
Feyenoord did not make it through the league phase of the Europa League, but they earned a return to the Champions League with a second-placed finish in the Eredivisie. However, they moved on from coach Robin van Persie at the end of the campaign.

Did you know?
Feyenoord became the first Dutch side to win Europe's top club competition when Ernst Happel's side beat Celtic 2-1 in the 1970 final in Milan.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 49
How they qualified: First in Türkiye
Last season: Champions League round of 16
Best European Cup performance: Semi-finals (1988/89)
Top Fantasy Football points scorer last season: Victor Osimhen (68)

Coach: Okan Buruk
A member of the Galatasaray team that earned UEFA Cup honours in 1999/2000 and then defeated Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup, Okan Buruk returned to manage his former club in the summer of 2022 and has since led them to four consecutive Turkish titles. Buruk was eliminated in the Champions League group stage as coach of İstanbul Başakşehir (2020/21) and Galatasaray (2023/24) but made it as far as the round of 16 last season.

Key player: Victor Osimhen
The athletic Nigerian striker joined Galatasaray permanently in 2025 after a successful loan spell. He was Serie A's top scorer when Napoli claimed a first Scudetto in 33 years in 2023 and was crowned African Player of the Year that December. In his first two seasons in Türkiye, he scored 59 goals in 74 games in all competitions.

Big summer signing: Lesley Ugochukwu
The midfielder made a high-profile move from home-town club Rennes to Chelsea in 2023 and starred for both Southampton and Burnley before his loan switch to Galatasaray this summer. A linchpin of the France Under-21 side, he adds physical presence and calm distribution to the Turkish side's armoury.

One to watch: Renato Nhaga
Galatasaray have high hopes for the 19-year-old, who can play in midfield or further forward. The club moved for the Guinea-Bissau international in February by capturing him from Portuguese side Casa Pia, where he had become their youngest top-flight debutant shortly after his 18th birthday.

2025/26 season
Liverpool ended Galatasaray's Champions League adventure in the round of 16, but Cimbom won a fourth successive domestic title under Okan Buruk, the duo of Mauro Icardi and Victor Osimhen up front proving devastatingly effective again in the league.

Did you know?
Galatasaray's UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup triumphs in 2000 remain the only major successes for Turkish clubs in UEFA competition.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 5
How they qualified: First in Italy
Last season: Champions League knockout phase play-offs
Best European Cup performance: Winners (1963/64, 1964/65, 2009/10)
Top Fantasy Football points scorer last season: Aleksandar Stanković (52)

Coach: Cristian Chivu
An Inter defender from 2007–14, and a Champions League winner under José Mourinho in 2009/10, former Romania defender Chivu worked in Inter's youth department before returning to the club as senior coach in 2025 following a brief spell in charge of Parma. His first season in charge ended with the Nerazzurri winning their 21st Serie A title.

Key player: Lautaro Martínez
Renowned for his relentless work rate, intelligent positioning and ice-cool finishing, captain Martínez is the leader of this team. The Argentina forward has scored more than 20 goals in each of his last five campaigns and helped Inter to reach the Champions League final in 2022/23 and 2024/25.

Big summer signing: John Stones
Now 32, the centre-back made his name with Everton before switching to Manchester City in 2016. In the following ten years, he won countless trophies under Pep Guardiola, including six Premier League titles, three FA Cups and the 2022/23 Champions League. A two-time EURO runner-up, he is approaching 100 caps for England following their World Cup campaign.

One to watch: Pio Esposito
After two seasons on loan with Spezia in Serie B, physically imposing striker Esposito broke through last term with Inter, whose academy he joined in 2014. Nine Champions League appearances yielded two goals and two assists, while 39 domestic appearances and eight goals marked his contribution to Inter's double. An Under-19 EURO winner in 2024, Esposito became a full Italian international in September 2025.

2025/26 season
Inter's elimination by Bodø/Glimt in the Champions League knockout phase play-offs was a shock, but they rallied to win the Coppa Italia and Serie A in Chivu's first season in charge.

Did you know?
Inter became European champions for a third time in 2010, beating Bayern 2-0 in the final in Madrid – the first Champions League decider to be played at the weekend.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 99
How they qualified: Play-off winners
Last season: N/A
Best European Cup performance: N/A

Coach: Dietmar Kühbauer
After a playing career in which he appeared in the 1995/96 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup final with SK Rapid, Kühbauer has since enjoyed successful managerial stints at the likes of Wolfsberger and SK Rapid. This is his second spell at the helm at LASK, and since returning in October 2025 he has won the Austrian Bundesliga and Austrian Cup along with securing a first-ever Champions League qualification for the club.

Key player: Samuel Adeniran
It was American striker Adeniran’s goals which made all the difference in LASK’s extraordinary play-off comeback against Celtic, with two stunning efforts from outside the box helping seal a 5-1 victory in the second leg to overturn a 3-0 aggregate deficit from the first leg. With ten goals and five assists in the Austrian Bundesliga last season, he also played a huge part in his side’s title-winning campaign.

Big summer signing: Robert Ljubičić
Also a goalscorer in that win over Celtic, Vienna-born midfielder Ljubičić has joined LASK on loan from AEK Athens. He has immediately slotted in after being given the No10 shirt and is expected to play a key role this season.

One to watch: Moses Usor
A left-footed winger, 24-year-old Usor loves causing headaches for defenders with his pace and dynamism on the flank. Capable of cutting inside and getting off a fierce shot, his unpredictability will be a dangerous weapon for his side in this campaign.

2025/26 season
For just the second time in their history LASK were crowned Austrian champions, finishing third in the regular season before coming top of the pile in the championship round. To add further gloss to their campaign they also triumphed in the Austrian Cup to complete a domestic double, beating SCR Altach 4-2 after extra time in an entertaining final.

Did you know?
LASK made it to the round of 16 in the Europa League in the 2019/20 season before being defeated 7-1 on aggregate by Man United.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 37
How they qualified: Third in Germany
Last season: N/A
Best European Cup performance: Semi-finals (2019/20)

Coach: Martín Demichelis
Former Argentina centre-back Demichelis spent the majority of his playing career at Bayern, where he won four Bundesliga titles and four German Cups. He began his coaching journey as an assistant at Málaga before taking up the top roles at River Plate, Monterrey and Mallorca. He joined Leipzig to replace Ole Werner in June and will be managing in the Champions League for the first time.

Key player: Christoph Baumgartner
The Austrian midfielder comes into this season off the back of the most prolific campaign of his career, having scored 17 goals in 37 league and cup games last term. As important creatively as he is as a goalscorer, the former Hoffenheim star was the 2024 Austrian Football of the Year and boasts 19 goals in 58 games for his country heading into this season.

Big summer signing: Maxime Estève
The 24-year-old centre-back made his name initially at Montpellier before turning out 100 times in two and a half years at Burnley. A commanding aerial presence, the French defender is also blessed with excellent awareness and composure in possession.

One to watch: Antonio Nusa
An electric and unpredictable dribbler, Nusa was just 17 years old when he scored on his Champions League debut for Club Brugge in September 2022. A regular starter and a two-time champion in Belgium by the time of his August 2024 move to Leipzig, Nusa has continued to grow his reputation in Germany and on the international stage, where he recently helped Norway reach the World Cup for the first time since 1998.

2025/26 season
A 6-0 loss to Bayern on the opening day of the season augured ill for new coach Ole Werner, but Leipzig rallied and earned a respectable third-placed Bundesliga finish to return to the Champions League.

Did you know?
Since first qualifying for European competition in 2017/18, Leipzig have only missed one continental campaign – in 2025/26.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 120
How they qualified: Second in France
Last season: N/A
Best European Cup performance: Group stage (1998/99, 2023/24)

Coach: Dino Toppmöller
Toppmöller started his career with Diddeleng, winning a raft of trophies in his three seasons in Luxembourg. After being assistant to Julian Nagelsmann at Leipzig and Bayern, he took the first-team reins at Frankfurt in 2023 and led them to sixth and third-placed finishes in his two full campaigns before leaving in January 2026.

Key player: Florian Thauvin
Part of the France squad that won the World Cup in 2018, Thauvin earned a return to the national team after six years away in October 2025 following his impressive start at Lens. He finished his debut season with 11 league goals and six assists as well as a standout contribution to Lens’ French Cup success – three goals and four assists, including one of each in the final.

Big summer signing: Thorgan Hazard
Hazard made his senior debut with Lens in 2011 and returned to the French club after 14 years away on a free transfer this summer. Thirty-four in March, the former Belgium’s reputation for attacking invention is rightly undiminished – Hazard scoring 15 goals and making 10 assists for Anderlecht last term.

One to watch: Robin Risser
Young shot-stopper Risser had struggled for first-team action at Strasbourg, whose academy he joined in 2017, but quickly established himself as a key player in his first Lens season. His total of 11 clean sheets was only bettered by Lille’s Berke Özer and his performances were sufficiently impressive to earn him a place in France’s World Cup squad come May.

2025/26 season
Three-time runners-up, Lens won their first French Cup in 2025/26 and finished second in Ligue 1, a respectable six points adrift of all-conquering Paris.

Did you know?
This is Lens’ fourth Champions League campaign; they made their debut in 1998/99, the season after winning their only French title, and returned to the group stage in 2002/03 and 2023/24.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 29
How they qualified: Third in France
Last season: Europa League round of 16
Best European Cup performance: Round of 16 (2006/07, 2021/22, 2024/25)

Coach: Davide Ancelotti
The son of coaching great Carlo Ancelotti, Davide assisted his father at Bayern, Napoli, Everton, Real Madrid and with the Brazil national team, taking sole command at Lille in June 2026 after briefly being in charge of Brazilian side Botafogo.

Key player: Benjamin André
André is Lille’s all-time appearance leader in the Champions League, their captain and an integral part of their midfield. For team-mate Noah Edjouma, André ranks among the most underrated players in France’s top flight. “He has always been one of the best players in the league. For that to be the case across so many years is remarkable,” says Edjouma.

Big summer signing: Başar Önal
Promising winger Başar Önal scored seven goals and set up a further eight in N.E.C. Nijmegen’s historic 2025/26 league campaign, the Dutch club securing third place for their highest-ever finish. Following in the footsteps of other Turkish players at Lille, the under-21 international says: “I want to follow the example of Burak Yılmaz and Yusuf Yazıcı.”

One to watch: Matias Fernandez-Pardo
Young forward Fernandez-Pardo was an attacking hub for Lille last season, his eight league goals and five assists tied for first among team-mates. Capable of playing off the flanks or through the middle, the Belgium international offers Ancelotti versatility as well as quality.

2025/26 season
Bruno Génésio helped Lille to reach the last 16 of the Europa League and finish third in Ligue 1, but left the club by mutual consent at the end of the campaign.

Did you know?
This is the four-time French champions’ ninth Champions League group stage/league phase campaign; they are known as Les Dogues (the Mastiffs) - a measure of their aggression and doggedness.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 4
How they qualified: Fifth in England
Last season: Champions League quarter-finals
Best European Cup performance: Winners (1976/77, 1977/78, 1980/81, 1983/84, 2004/05, 2018/19)
Top Fantasy Football points scorer last season: Dominik Szoboszlai (89)

Coach: Andoni Iraola
Hired to replace Arne Slot, Andoni Iraola made his name as a right-back in a long spell at Athletic Club, during which his side reached the 2011/12 Europa League final. His reputation as a coach grew during spells at Rayo Vallecano and Bournemouth, with whom he finished sixth in the 2025/26 Premier League, earning the club a first shot at European football.

Key player: Virgil van Dijk
Liverpool's captain and central defensive leader, Van Dijk has helped his side to win two Premier League titles as well as the 2018/19 Champions League. Now in his tenth campaign at Anfield, there are few forwards in world football who can get the better of him when he is at the top of his game.

Big summer signing: Jérémy Jacquet
A deal for the Reds to sign promising 21-year-old centre-back Jacquet from Rennes was agreed in February, with the France U21 international inheriting the No5 shirt from the outgoing Ibrahima Konaté this summer. Jacquet is expected to instantly become a first-team regular at Anfield as he looks to become the latest in a long list of defender cult heroes on Merseyside.

One to watch: Rio Ngumoha
Ngumoha became the youngest goalscorer in club history when he opened his Liverpool account in August 2025 and, more impressive still, the strike was a 100th-minute winner against Newcastle. That tells you a lot about the young winger, a daring dribbler who does not fear the big moments and wants to make the difference for his team.

2025/26 season
Defending English champions, Liverpool finished fifth in the Premier League and said goodbye to long-serving striker Mohamed Salah (and coach Arne Slot) at the end of the campaign.

Did you know?
Liverpool are the most successful English side in Europe’s top club competition, with six European Cup/Champions League wins. Only Real Madrid (15) and Milan (7) have won more.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 6
How they qualified: Second in England
Last season: Champions League round of 16
Best European Cup performance: Winners (2022/23)
Top Fantasy Football points scorer last season: Erling Haaland (55)

Coach: Enzo Maresca
A former assistant of outgoing City coach Pep Guardiola, ex-midfielder Maresca won the Championship title with Leicester before signing with Chelsea in 2024. Triumphs in the Conference League and Club World Cup followed before he departed Stamford Bridge in January. Maresca was appointed as Guardiola’s successor in June and will have big shoes to fill at the City of Manchester Stadium.

Key player: Erling Haaland
The Norwegian struck for the 100th time for the Citizens in only 105 appearances in September 2024, equalling Cristiano Ronaldo's record at Real Madrid for the fewest games needed to reach a century of goals for a club in a major European league. He has passed 30 goals in all competitions in all four seasons at City and holds a stack of Champions League scoring records.

Big summer signing: Elliot Anderson
A Europa League semi-finalist with Nottingham Forest last term, Anderson is now set to make his Champions League debut with Man City. Skillful, strong and savvy on the ball, the England midfielder is similarly formidable without it – ranking first for duels won among all midfielders in the English Premier League in 2025/26.

One to watch: Nico O’Reilly
O’Reilly’s dazzling talent was clear when he got his Manchester City break in the 2024/25 season, but last term was his chance to show the consistency and versatility that go alongside. Lining up at left-back or in central midfield, O’Reilly played in 34 league games and delivered a two-goal performance in the English League Cup final, securing the first of two cup triumphs.

2025/26 season
In his final season at the club, Guardiola won the League Cup for a record fifth time as City boss, and his side scooped the FA Cup too, but they lost out to Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16 and finished second behind Arsenal in the Premier League.

Did you know?
City’s first major continental success was in the 1969/70 European Cup Winners’ Cup, when they beat Poland’s Gornik Zabrze 2-1 in the final in Vienna - the last major UEFA competition decider to take place in April.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 21
How they qualified: Third in England
Last season: N/A
Best European Cup performance: Winners (1967/68, 1998/99, 2007/08)

Coach: Michael Carrick
One of the shoot-out scorers in United’s 2007/08 Champions League final victory against Chelsea, former midfielder Carrick worked under José Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjær at the club and returned as temporary manager in 2025/26, earning a long-term contract after he led his side to a third-placed finish.

Key player: Bruno Fernandes
Manchester United are back in the Champions League and Fernandes’ record-breaking 2025/26 campaign is a prime reason why. The Portuguese maestro’s 21 assists was an English Premier League record, beating the previous mark of no less than Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne, a feat made possible by vision and a passing repertoire of the highest order.

Big summer signing: Youri Tielemans
Part of a summer midfield refresh at Old Trafford, Tielemans was just 16 when he made his Champions League debut in 2013 but boasts plenty of experience and pedigree now. Tielemans won the Europa League with Villa last term, scoring in the final against Freiburg, and subsequently captained Belgium to the World Cup quarter-finals.

One to watch: Leny Yoro
Touted as one of the best young defenders in world football when he joined from Lille in 2024, Yoro has continued to show that promise all while making an immediate impact at Old Trafford, featuring prominently as United reached the 2025 Europa League final before showing impressive consistency in the league last term. Don’t expect him to stop there – he’s described as “desperate to learn” by Carrick.

2025/26 season
Absent from Europe, United struggled at the start of the campaign, Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim making way for Michael Carrick, who oversaw an excellent spring turnaround which earned them a third-placed finish.

Did you know?
United were the first English side to feature in the European Cup (in 1956/57) and the first English side to win it (in 1967/68).

UEFA coefficient ranking: 34
How they qualified: Second in Italy
Last season: Champions League league phase
Best European Cup performance: Quarter-finals (2022/23)
Top Fantasy Football points scorer last season: Scott McTominay (47)

Coach: Massimiliano Allegri
A vastly experienced coach who won a Serie A title with Milan before adding a further five Scudettos at Juventus, Allegri was appointed as the new Napoli boss this summer. He is the only coach in Europe’s top five leagues to have won a domestic double for four consecutive seasons.

Key player: Scott McTominay
The Scotland talisman, McTominay or 'Mcfrateme' – a mixture of 'Mc' and 'my brother' in strict Neapolitan accent – conquered Italy in 2024/25, winning the title during his first term in Naples after leaving Manchester United. He can do it all in midfield, not to mention his decisive support in terms of goals as he racked up 27 in his first two seasons in Naples.

Big summer signing: Benoît Badiashile 
A shrewd loan addition from Chelsea, French centre-back Badiashile declared himself "ready to give everything for this shirt and for this city". The former Monaco man already has plenty of European experience, which could prove valuable in Napoli's Champions League campaign.

One to watch: Alisson Santos
A blend of electric pace and trickery make Alisson Santos an exciting prospect for fans and a menace to Champions League full-backs. The Brazilian winger joined Napoli on loan from Sporting CP in February and his move was made permanent this summer after a string of impressive performances, starting with a last-minute equaliser in his league debut against Roma.

2025/26 season
The club’s 100th season proved to be slightly disappointing; they failed to make it through the league phase of the Champions League and relinquished their title to Inter, with coach Antonio Conte leaving at the end of the campaign.

Did you know?
Diego Maradona was among the stars as Napoli beat Stuttgart over two legs to win the 1988/89 UEFA Cup - their only major continental trophy.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 3
How they qualified: Champions League winners/First in France
Last season: Champions League winners
Best European Cup performance: Winners (2024/25, 2025/26)
Top Fantasy Football points scorer last season: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (121)

Coach: Luis Enrique
The ex-Barcelona and Real Madrid player won nine trophies during a hugely successful three-year spell in charge of the Blaugrana then coached Spain to the EURO 2020 semi-finals and the 2021 Nations League final. Since joining Paris in 2023, he has won three straight Ligue 1 titles and now back-to-back Champions League and Super Cup crowns.

Key player: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
The mercurial Georgian winger was named Champions League Player of the Season for 2025/26 after lighting up Paris' path to a second successive continental title with ten goals and six assists. He has been nicknamed ‘Kvaradona’ and ‘The Georgian Messi’ for his outrageous skill and vision with the ball at his feet.

Big summer signing: Ferran Torres
Still only 26, the forward arrives in Paris having scored the World Cup final winner for Spain, adding to his UEFA EURO 2024 title. The former Valencia and Manchester City man – he was a Champions League runner-up with the latter – spent the last five years at Barcelona, scoring 65 goals in 207 appearances and winning three La Liga titles.

One to watch: Maghnes Akliouche
Born on the outskirts of Paris, it seemed inevitable that the 24-year-old schemer would find his way back to the capital after three outstanding seasons with Monaco. Equally comfortable threading passes as carrying the threat to opponents, the France international appears a perfect fit for Luis Enrique’s attack-minded and wonderfully fluid outfit.

2025/26 season
Lens gave Paris a run for their money in Ligue 1, but they retained that title, then beat Arsenal on penalties to keep hold of the Champions League.

Did you know?
Paris were the first team to retain their UEFA Champions League title since Real Madrid in 2018.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 20
How they qualified: First in Portugal
Last season: Europa League quarter-finals
Best European Cup performance: Winners (1986/87, 2003/04)

Coach: Francesco Farioli
The Italian studied philosophy at the University of Florence, before switching to sports science and then a career as a goalkeeping coach, and he worked under Roberto De Zerbi in this capacity at Benevento and Sassuolo. After taking charge at Fatih Karagümrük, Alanyaspor and Nice, he coached Ajax in 2024/25 and then took the Porto job in July 2025.

Key player: Diogo Costa
Penalty saves have become a calling card for Diogo Costa since he memorably stopped three in a single shoot-out at UEFA EURO 2024, but the Porto goalkeeper is an all-round force. That much was clear in Porto’s title-winning league campaign last term, his 21 clean sheets setting a new record in the division.

Big summer signing: Jakub Kiwior
Kiwior completed a permanent move to Porto this summer after spending the 2025/26 season on loan from Arsenal. The Poland centre-back made 26 league appearances and eight in the Europa League during a strong first campaign.

One to watch: Victor Froholdt
Aged 19, Froholdt was named the Portuguese league’s Player of the Month, Young Player of the Month and Midfielder of the Month within weeks of his arrival from Copenhagen in 2025. Generally operating as a right-sided central midfielder, the tall Danish international is an excellent box-to-box midfielder.

2025/26 season
Farioli’s maiden season was superb, Porto kicking off with 18 wins and a draw from their first 19 league games, and finishing six points clear at the top of the table, having also reached the Europa League last eight.

Did you know?
Under José Mourinho, Porto won the 2003/04 Champions League; no side from outside Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues has reached the final since.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 26
How they qualified: First in Netherlands
Last season: Champions League league phase
Best European Cup performance: Winners (1987/88)
Top Fantasy Football points scorer last season: Guus Til (32)

Coach: Peter Bosz
An Eredivisie winner with Feyenoord as a player, Bosz is a self-confessed disciple of the Cruyff/Guardiola school and likes his teams to press aggressively and dominate possession. He won his first top-tier league title as a coach in 2023/24 as PSV claimed the Eredivisie, losing just one game, and has since made it three in a row.

Key player: Ricardo Pepi
Sixteen league goals from Pepi helped PSV retain their league title last term, a total only bettered by two players. The USA forward was similarly sharp in front of goal in the Champions League, converting three times in five outings, and has scored in the competition in each of the last three seasons.

Big summer signing: Sven Mijnans
Attacking midfielder Mijnans broke through at Sparta Rotterdam in 2020 before joining AZ Alkmaar in January 2023. His fourth and final campaign with AZ was his strongest, returning 11 goals and six assists in the Dutch top flight to go along with six goals in 11 UEFA Conference League appearances.

One to watch: Noah Fernandez
A product of the PSV youth system, teenager Fernandez broke into the first team last season and even enjoyed a Champions League appearance against Bayern München. The young Belgian midfielder pinpoints “dribbling, keeping an overview and making actions” as his key strengths, skills that equip him to operate in a variety of midfield roles.

2025/26 season
PSV took a third successive Eredivisie title and finished 19 points clear of runners-up Feyenoord, but their Champions League campaign ended in the league phase.

Did you know?
Five members of the PSV side that beat Benfica on penalties in the 1987/88 European Cup final went on to win the 1988 UEFA European Championship in the same summer.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 24
How they qualified: Fifth in Spain
Last season: Europa League quarter-finals
Best European Cup performance: Group stage (2005/06)

Coach: Manuel Pellegrini
A central defender with Universidade de Chile from 1973-86, Pellegrini came to Europe to become Villarreal coach in 2004, then coached Real Madrid and Málaga before leading Man City to the 2013/14 Premier League title. In charge at Real Betis since 2020, he took the Seville side to the 2024/25 Conference League final.

Key player: Antony
A player with a penchant for the spectacular, Brazilian winger Antony has wowed in two historic European campaigns with Real Betis. Full-backs will do well to note his preference for cutting in on his left foot from the right, but stopping it will be another matter – four Conference League goals in 2025 and six in the Europa League last term showing his clinical edge.

Big summer signing: Fran García
Left-back Fran García was part of the Real Madrid squad that won the Champions League in 2024, making four appearances across the campaign, though he was an unused substitute in the final. The 27-year-old has featured a further 16 times in the competition since.

One to watch: Abde Ezzalzouli
Antony’s usual partner on the wings, Ezzalzouli is playing his first season in the Champions League. The Morocco international surpassed 100 Real Betis appearances last term while enjoying his most prolific campaign yet – hauling in ten league goals and nine assists. Look out for mazy dribbles on the pitch and a relentless mindset off it. “I like criticism so I can shut them up,” the winger has said.

2025/26 season
Betis reached the last eight of the Europa League (and the same stage of the Copa del Rey) while a fifth-placed finish in the league earned them a return to the Champions League.

Did you know?
Real Betis achieved their best Europa League finish by reaching the quarter-finals last term. The season prior, they reached the Conference League final.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 2
How they qualified: Second in Spain
Last season: Champions League quarter-finals
Best European Cup performance: Winners (1955/56, 1956/57, 1957/58, 1958/59, 1959/60, 1965/66, 1997/98, 1999/2000, 2001/02, 2013/14, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2021/22, 2023/24)
Top Fantasy Football points scorer last season: Kylian Mbappé (94)

Coach: José Mourinho
Back at Madrid, where he was in charge from 2010-13, Mourinho won the 2002/03 UEFA Cup and 2003/04 Champions League at Porto, and claimed Europe’s top club competition again with Inter in 2009/10. More recently, he led Man United to 2016/17 Europa League glory and won the 2021/22 Conference League at Roma.

Key player: Kylian Mbappé
Mbappé scored 86 goals in 103 games in his first two seasons at Madrid, including 15 in last season’s Champions League. However, the former Monaco and Paris striker is yet to win a major domestic or European competition with Los Blancos.

Big summer signing: Marc Cucurella
Left-back Cucurella started every match as Spain won their second World Cup title in summer and played a similarly important role when they won UEFA EURO 2024, assisting the winning goal in the final against England. He returns to Spain after impressing for Brighton and then Chelsea, winning the UEFA Conference League with the latter in 2025.

One to watch: Yan Diomande
Unstoppably fast, two-footed and fearless, Ivorian international Yan Diomande established himself as one of the most exciting wing talents in world football during his debut Leipzig season. In the German Bundesliga, Diomande scored 12 goals, made nine assists and won 437 duels – 75 more than any other player. Fans will be eager to see his Champions League debut, opposition full-backs perhaps less so.

2025/26 season
Mbappé was the top scorer in the Liga (25) and the Champions League (15) but Madrid finished the season without a title, Xabi Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa having both been in charge.

Did you know?
This is Madrid’s 30th consecutive season in the Champions League; they have won the competition 15 times, including six triumphs when it was still the European Cup.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 13
How they qualified: Third in Italy
Last season: Europa League round of 16
Best European Cup performance: Runners-up (1983/84)

Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini
A midfielder who spent the best seasons of his career at Palermo and Pescara, Gasperini coached Juventus’ youth teams before taking sole command at Crotone, Genoa, Inter (briefly) and Palermo. His reputation grew at Atalanta from 2016-25, where he earned his side regular Champions League football and won the 2023/24 Europa League. He joined Roma in 2025.

Key player: Manu Koné
The 25-year-old is already a regular in a France national team packed with midfield talent. Hamstring injuries restricted his impact at the business end of last season but the former Toulouse and Mönchengladbach man remains the driving force for Gasperini’s side.

Big summer signing: Donyell Malen
Roma turned the Dutch international’s loan deal into a permanent move, complete with a four-year contract, after an outstanding second half to the 2025/26 season. The 27-year-old scored 14 goals in 18 Serie A games after his mid-season switch from Aston Villa, his best league haul since his early days at PSV.

One to watch: Niccolò Pisilli
A 2023 Under-19 EURO winner with Italy, Pisilli’s promise has long been clear, but never more so than last season at Roma. A two-goal outing against Stuttgart, his first-ever Roma double, was one of eight Europa League appearances and the young midfielder made 13 starts in Serie A, up from 11 the season prior.

2025/26 season
In his first season in charge, Gasperini earned a third-placed finish in Serie A, to bring Roma back into the Champions League for the first time since 2018/19. Their Europa League campaign ended with a narrow loss to Bologna in the round of 16.

Did you know?
Roma reached the European Cup final in 1984, but lost the game to Liverpool on penalties despite it being played at their own Stadio Olimpico.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 244
How they qualified: Play-off winners
Last season: N/A
Best European Cup performance: N/A

Coach: Valdas Dambrauskas
The Lithuanian tactician has a remarkable story, having financed a trip to England to pursue his coaching dream by participating in his country's version of 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire'. Since then he has gone on to manage in Latvia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus and Hungary before arriving in Azberbaijan in 2025, where he has gone on to make history with a domestic double and Champions League qualification.

Key player: Veljko Simić
Top scorer in Champions League qualifying with an impressive six goals across his eight appearances, Serbian forward Simić has shone at Sabah since joining initially on loan last summer from Sivasspor, a deal which was made permanent in June. The forward also netted 11 times in his side’s triumphant 2025/26 Azerbaijani Premier League campaign and will no doubt relish the opportunity to test himself against some of the best defences in Europe in the league phase.

Big summer signing: Tymoteusz Puchacz
A solid, reliable left-back with 15 senior Poland caps, Puchacz is another, like Simić, who was initially brought in on loan before making a permanent move after impressing. Included in his nation’s EURO 2020 and EURO 2024 squads, and with club experience at the likes of Lech Poznań, Panathinaikos and Holstein Kiel, Puchacz is a vital part of Dambrauskas’ outfit.

One to watch: Joy-Lance Mickels
The only player to outscore Simić with 19 goals in the Azerbaijani Premier League last season, tricky winger Mickels has also played a big part in Sabah’s qualifying success, netting four times and creating an assist. The German-born Rwanda international looks set to become the first player from his country to play in the Champions League proper.

2025/26 season
It was an unforgettable campaign for the Masazir-based club as they won a first domestic league title, finishing nine points clear of nearest challengers Qarabağ, and also retained the Azerbaijani Cup. They failed to qualify for Europe, however, after losing to Levski Sofia in the Conference League third qualifying round.

Did you know?
Sabah were only formed in 2017, with the Owls qualifying for the Champions League in just their ninth year of existence.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 45
How they qualified: Champions League rebalancing
Last season: Conference League semi-finals
Best European Cup performance: Quarter-finals (2010/11)

Coach: Arda Turan
Capped 100 times as a Türkiye midfielder, Arda Turan shone at Galatasaray and Atleti, and was one of the breakout stars of UEFA EURO 2008. In his first job as a coach, he led Eyüpspor to a sixth-placed finish in the Turkish league, and then signed for Shakhtar in May 2025.

Key player: Pedrinho
Brazilian midfielder Pedrinho was a key figure as Shakhtar topped the possession charts in last season’s Conference League. At 28 years old he is one of the more senior players in Arda Turan’s young squad and does not shy away from the responsibility that comes with that. “I always try to take on the role of a leader,” he said in a 2025 interview.

Big summer signing: Bruninho
Shakhtar added yet another exciting Brazilian talent to their ranks in the form of 18-year-old Bruninho this summer. The teenage dynamo made nine appearances in Brazil’s top flight before his August move to Shakhtar and enjoyed his first couple of international appearances with Brazil’s under-20s in March, scoring twice and assisting once on debut.

One to watch: Kauã Elias
A February 2025 arrival from Fluminense, Kauã Elias helped Shakhtar reach the Conference League semi-finals in his first full season. Far from the first exciting Brazilian forward to come through Shakhtar’s doors, Kauã Elias has ambitions of being the best. Asked about the club-record 128 goals of Luiz Adriano, the young striker responded: “I want to score at least one more than him over the course of my career at Shakhtar.”

2025/26 season
Arda Turan impressed in his first season in command, steering Shakhtar to the Ukrainian title, and to the semi-finals of the Conference League.

Did you know?
Shakhtar beat Werder Bremen to win the 2009 UEFA Cup final, the only major European trophy to have been won by a Ukrainian club since independence.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 59
How they qualified: First in Czechia
Last season: Champions League league phase
Best European Cup performance: Group stage/league phase (2007/08, 2019/20, 2025/26)
Top Fantasy Football points scorer last season: Youssoupha Mbodji (31)

Coach: Jindřich Trpišovský
Slavia coach since 2017, Trpišovský has led his side to five national titles and four Czech Cups, and has kept them competitive in European competitions too. Forced to abandon hopes of a playing career as a teenager, he coached in youth football and was hired by Slavia following stints at Viktoria Žižkov and Slovan Liberec.

Key player: Lukáš Provod
Winger and attacking midfielder Provod has been a central figure for Slavia Praha since 2019, accumulating more than 200 appearances and 50 assists. The Czech international is excellent at inventing for team-mates, a quality he showed with a pair of assists for Youssoupha Mbodji on Matchday 1 last season.

Big summer signing: Ange N'Guessan
Centre-back N'Guessan represented Lens and then Torino at youth level before gaining senior experience during a loan spell with NK Bravo in Slovenia. A move to Czech side Slovan Liberec followed in 2025, N'Guessan impressing with 29 appearances across all competitions in his one and only season in Liberec.

One to watch: Youssoupha Sanyang
Last season was the first at the club for the 21-year-old winger following his transfer from Swedish outfit Östers. Already a full international for Gambia, Sanyang made six Champions League appearances last term and became a more regular starter in the league as the campaign progressed.

2025/26 season
Slavia bowed out of the Champions League at the league phase, having not won any of their eight games, but maintained their dominance at home by winning a second successive Czech title.

Did you know?
In 1927, Slavia beat Rapid Wien in the final of the first edition of the Mitropa Cup; the pre-UEFA ancestor of the European Cup and UEFA Champions League.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 65
How they qualified: Play-off winners
Last season: Conference League league phase
Best European Cup performance: League phase (2024/25, 2026/27)

Coach: Yaya Touré
After a glittering playing career which often saw Yaya Touré competing in the Champions League, and winning it with Barcelona in 2009, the former Ivorian international has led Slovan Bratislava to their second league phase berth in his first head coach role. Before taking charge of Slovan in July, Touré’s most recent posting was as assistant coach of the Saudi Arabian national team.

Key player: Andraž Šporar
Captain Šporar was Slovan's top scorer with 12 goals (in just 13 games) as they defended their league title last term, marking a successful first season back with the club whom he also represented between 2018 and 2020. The Slovenian striker can draw on prior Champions League experience with Basel.

Big summer signing: Suleiman Camara
A summer arrival from Real Racing Club, Gambia international Camara gave his new fans plenty of cause for excitement during qualifying. The winger scored twice in four appearances, the second a sparkling individual effort against Mjällby.

One to watch: Nino Marcelli
21-year-old winger Marcelli enjoyed his most productive season yet in 2025/26, producing seven goals and six assists to help Slovan win the title. Bratislava born, Marcelli has worked his way through the youth ranks of Slovan, whom he joined in 2014.

2025/26 season
Slovan Bratislava won an eighth-consecutive league title but were less successful in the Slovak Cup, where they exited at the round of 16, and did not progress from the league phase of the Conference League.

Did you know?
Slovan Bratislava coach Yaya Touré made 70 Champions League appearances during his playing days – seventh-most among African players.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 15
How they qualified: Second in Portugal
Last season: Champions League quarter-finals
Best European Cup performance: Quarter-finals (1982/83, 2025/26)
Top Fantasy Football points scorer last season: Maximiliano Araújo (54)

Coach: Rui Borges
A lower-league winger, who started and ended his playing career with hometown club Mirandela, Rui Borges worked his way up as a coach at the likes of Académica, Nacional, Vilafranquense, Mafra, Moreirense and Vitória SC. He joined Sporting CP in December 2024 and helped them to win the title and the Portuguese Cup that season.

Key player: Luis Suárez
Sporting CP announced the signing of Suárez in summer 2025 after a 31-goal season at Almería – incredibly he surpassed that tally in his first season in Lisbon. The 28-year-old racked up a remarkable 38 goals in 53 games, including five in the Champions League. He was top scorer in the Portuguese Liga with 28 goals and became Colombia’s first-choice forward at the World Cup as a result.

Big summer signing: Rodrigo Zalazar
Son of former Uruguayan international José Luis Zalazar, affectionately known as ‘El Oso’ (The Bear), 27-year-old Rodrigo is aptly nicknamed 'El Osito' (The Bear Cub). The attacking midfielder arrives at Sporting after a standout campaign at Braga – ten appearances and two goals on the way to the Europa League semi-finals and a 16-goal haul in Portugal’s top flight.

One to watch: Gonçalo Inácio
Having come through the youth system at Sporting, Gonçalo Inácio has been an established first-team player for six seasons now - and is still only 25 years old. Strong in the tackle and an adept passer, the centre-back is also a regular for the Portuguese national team, winning 22 caps for his country.

2025/26 season
Sporting lost to Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals, and could not defend their Portuguese title, finishing second behind Porto. They were also runners-up - to second-tier Torreense - in the Portuguese Cup.

Did you know?
Sporting have not won a major UEFA trophy since winning the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1964 - though they were runners-up in the 2004/05 UEFA Cup.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 80
How they qualified: Fourth in Germany
Last season: Europa League round of 16
Best European Cup performance: Round of 16 (2003/04, 2009/10)

Coach: Sebastian Hoeness
The son of Dieter Hoeness, and nephew of fellow Bayern great Uli Hoeness, Sebastian Hoeness found his calling as a coach, starting out with young players before coaching Bayern’s reserves and then the Hoffenheim first team. Hired in 2023, he helped Stuttgart to return to the Champions League and win the 2024/25 German Cup.

Key player: Deniz Undav
Prolific at Havelse, Meppen and Union SG prior to joining Stuttgart from Brighton, the 30-year-old has passed 50 goals across his three campaigns at the club, with a career-high 19 in the league last term. A World Cup shot with Germany and new contract at Stuttgart were the result of another goal-laden season.

Big summer signing: Bilal El Khannouss
The 22-year-old schemer was picked up, initially on loan, from Leicester in summer 2024 and the switch was made permanent this summer. A regular for Morocco over the past four years, he shone in the Europa League last season with five goals and has the vision and passing ability to unlock the meanest of defences.

One to watch: Finn Jeltsch
Jeltsch joined Stuttgart from Nürnberg in February 2025 and quickly made an impact despite being just 19 at the time. The German centre-back made 12 Bundesliga appearances in the remainder of that campaign, nine as a starter, and followed that with up 27 domestic appearances in his first full season and ten in the Europa League.

2025/26 season
Stuttgart lost to Porto in the Europa League round of 16, and to irresistible Bayern in the German Cup final, but a fourth-placed Bundesliga finish took them into the league phase of the Champions League.

Did you know?
Stuttgart have yet to win a UEFA competition, but were runners-up in the 1988/89 UEFA Cup and 1997/98 Cup Winners’ Cup.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 202
How they qualified: Play-off winners
Last season: N/A
Best European Cup performance: League phase (2026/27)

Coaches: Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim and Morten Jensen
Viking have been led by a pair of head coaches since January 2021: Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim, who made 260 Viking appearances in his playing days, and Morten Jensen. Viking CEO Eirik Bjørnø said of the dynamic in August: “When the interview came, they just showed up together. It was their idea."

Key player: Zlatko Tripić
Viking captain Tripić has more than 200 appearances with the Norwegian club, whom he joined in 2018. Tripić was named the Norwegian top flight’s player of the year in 2024 after recording 10 goals and 16 assists across 28 matches. Remarkably, he improved on that goal involvement total in 2025, adding an extra goal and matching his assist tally despite playing three fewer games.

Big summer signing: Romano Postema
Dutch forward Postema was prolific in the Netherlands’ second tier last term, scoring 24 goals in 35 games on loan at FC Emmen to finish as top scorer in the division. A July move from Groningen ended a 13-year association with the club.

One to watch: Edvin Austbø
21-year-old Austbø pairs elusive dribbling with an ability to create and finish in the final third. The diminutive winger produced six goals and seven assists across 27 appearances in Viking’s 2025 campaign. One of those goals stood above the rest, Austbø dancing past three defenders before picking out the bottom corner in the title-clinching game.

2025/26 season
Viking’s 2025 season was historic, culminating in their first Norwegian title in 34 years.

Did you know?
Viking have achieved qualification to a UEFA group stage/league phase for only the second time after their participation in the 2005/06 UEFA Cup group stage.

UEFA coefficient ranking: 39
How they qualified: Third in Spain
Last season: Champions League league phase
Best European Cup performance: Semi-finals (2005/06, 2021/22)
Top Fantasy Football points scorer last season: Renato Veiga (26)

Coach: Iñigo Pérez
A midfielder who reached the 2011/12 Europa League final with Athletic Club, Iñigo Pérez initially assisted his former Bilbao team-mate Andoni Iraola at Rayo Vallecano, then took sole command in 2024. He helped the Madrid club earn a European place, and took them to the 2025/26 Conference League final before switching to Villarreal.

Key player: Georges Mikautadze
Mikautadze made his name in France with Metz and Lyon before joining Villarreal last summer. His first season was a huge success, the forward ending the campaign as the Yellow Submarine’s top scorer with 13 La Liga goals. He headed into 2026/27 with 23 goals in 43 games for Georgia too - an even better international strike rate than his compatriot Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Big summer signing: Péter Gulácsi
A vastly experienced goalkeeper who started his career at Liverpool before joining Salzburg, Gulácsi ended an 11-year spell at Leipzig to make the switch to Villarreal this summer, where he is expected to challenge Luiz Júnior for the No1 spot.

One to watch: Alberto Moleiro
A regular in the top two tiers of Spanish football with Las Palmas for four seasons, the Tenerife-born winger also shone in his first campaign with Villarreal by grabbing a career-high ten league goals. Still only 22 at the start of 2026/27, a first Spain cap cannot be far away.

2025/26 season
While they failed to win in their eight league phase games in the Champions League, they finished third in the Liga in their final season under Marcelino. Home form was key, particularly in the run-in where they plundered 25 goals in their last eight league games in front of their own fans.

Did you know?
Villarreal won the longest UEFA final penalty shoot-out 11-10 to beat Man United in the 2021 Europa League decider.