The biggest and most prestigious club competition in Europe, the UEFA Champions League, gets underway this week. Things are about to get heated on the road to the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid, the venue of the 2026/2027 UEFA Champions League final. PSG are reigning champions, off the back of their consecutive UCL triumph but they have their work cut out for them this season. In this article, we rank the top 5 favourite clubs for the UCL title this season.
5. REAL MADRID
Real Madrid are always favourites for the UEFA Champions League title — they’re the most decorated club in the competition’s history and have won more than double the titles of second placed AC Milan in the UCL all-time winners rankings. Rule them out of contention at your own peril!
Real Madrid have crumbled and failed to win any title domestically and continentally across the last two seasons. Jose Mourinho was brought in to reverse their misfortunes this summer.
The Portuguese tactician is no stranger to winning Big Ears, having done so with FC Porto and Inter Milan in the past. Notably, there is still the distinct lack of a World class number 6 in Real Madrid’s team and this can be disadvantageous to them when they square off against fellow big clubs in the competition. Their deadliness in transitions and overwhelming attacking firepower can make up for that deficit.
A draw against Real Betis in their last La Liga fixture has drawn some purple patches over Mourinho’s team but there are no calls for alarm yet. The club’s ego problems have been well-publicised but Jose is one of those coaches you can count on to deal with it. He loves managing the superstars with the biggest egos, he lives for it.
Real Madrid get off their UCL campaign against Mourinho’s old club Inter Milan today. They have another big European fixture against Arsenal away at the Emirates but are expected to breeze through PSV Eindhoven, RB Leipzig, LASK, AS Roma, Shakhtar Donetsk, and AEK Athens.
4. FC BARCELONA
Despite the absence of a traditional number 9 in their team, FC Barcelona has been scoring goals for fun this season. With 17 goals across their first 4 La Liga games, this is their best ever goalscoring start to a season under Hansi Flick, surpassing the 13 goals they scored in 2024/2025 & 2025/2026 seasons respectively. They’re cruising.
The UEFA Champions League draw was somewhat unfavorable to the Catalans and tough matchups await them against PSG and Manchester City but have relatively easier fixtures against Aston Villa, Feyenoord, Como, Sporting CP, Galatasaray and Sabah FK.
Barcelona’s defence is the weakest link in the squad and has been their undoing in European competitions since Flick’s arrival at the club. The highline the club plays has repeatedly left their defence exposed to counter attacks and fast transition breaks. Rodri’s signing from Manchester City this summer was to provide the much needed protection to the defensive line, serving as a perfect bridge between defence and attack. His presence gives Barcelona’s unstoppable attackers free rein to operate up ahead the field and wreak havoc on their opponents.
Barca are rearing to go all the way this season in the UCL and bring the title back to the Camp Nou for the first time in over 10 years. If their defence can hold the line and stand their ground, why not? They’ll kick-off their campaign against Feyenoord on Wednesday.
3. BAYERN MUNCH
Bundesliga Champions Bayern Munich are among the best three teams across Europe’s top five leagues and are simply unstoppable. The Bavarians went toe to toe against defending champions PSG in last season’s UEFA Champions League and dragged them all the way. That fixture was filled with goals and entertainment — an all-time UCL classic. Bayern Munich have been extremely smart with their recruitment this summer. They kept their deadly attackers and the core squad members while adding players that are a perfect fit for their playing style and can raise the team’s overall level. The Bundesliga title is undoubtedly theirs — they could as well wrap up the title and hand it to them now.
The UCL is their main challenge and biggest target this season. They ended up on the favourable side of the draws and are expected to stroll through comfortably to the knockout stages. Their biggest challenge is Arsenal and Atletico Madrid but they can handle Simeone’s team. With Manchester United’s current form, they’re not considered a strong opponent for the Bavarians.
The likes of Real Betis, Bodo/Glimt, Slavia Prague, Lille, and Viking FK do not pose a major challenge for them. Bayern Munich were held to a goalless draw in their Bundesliga game against Schalke over the weekend, a first in over 18 months. They’ll be at their ruthless best and dismantle Bodo/Glimt mercilessly on Thursday.
2. ARSENAL
Is there any team that can stop Arsenal this season? It’s difficult to imagine. The English Premier League Champions are flying. Fresh off their English Premier League triumph, their first league title in 22 years, Arsenal’s recruitment this summer was strategic. Mikel Arteta only signed players that would raise their highly formidable team’s level this season in veteran midfielder Bruno Guimarães, winger Christos Tzolis and defender Ezri Konsa.
Arsenal’s defence was already nearly impenetrable and Mikel Arteta decided to add one of the best defenders in the EPL, in Konsa to his backline. The signings will cushion the effects of the loss of Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus.
Arsenal went all the way in the UCL last season and fell to reigning champions PSG in the final on penalties in their first final appearance since their 2006 final loss against FC Barcelona. The season before that they were knocked out at the semi final stage and the one before, at the quarter finals. They’ve improved on their performance every season since they returned to the competition in 2023 and will aim to secure the prestigious title this season.
Arsenal have some truly formidable opponents in Real Madrid and Bayern Munich but Mikel Arteta’s team have not been known to back down from tough challenges in recent months. Their set piece superiority is an added advantage. They’re expected to have an easier time against Borussia Dortmund, Lille, Sabah FK, Real Betis, Napoli and Slavia Prague.
- PARIS SAINT GERMAIN (PSG)
PSG have had a disastrous start to Ligue 1 this season but there’s a reason they’ve won 8 French top-flight titles across the last 9 seasons. The French League is known as the Farmers league for a reason.
It is crystal clear that Luis Enrique has been tinkering with his team and trying to get them in the best shape possible for the start of the UEFA Champions League. The Spaniard is trying to integrate his new signings into the team and decide on his best XI. When quizzed by reporters on PSG’s winless start to the season, Luis Enrique’s confident response was: “If you want to bet on who will be champions, let’s bet… but I’m saying nothing!.”
PSG’s European quest this season is to become the first team since Real Madrid in 2016 – 2018 to win three straight UCL titles and the odds are in their favour. PSG main threats lie in the fluidity of their devastating attack, technical superiority of their midfield and defensive prowess of their back line, However, their struggles against low blocks are well-documented. They face off against Slovan Bratislava in their opening UCL fixture on Wednesday, an easy fixture.
They have tougher challenges waiting for them against Manchester City and Luis Enrique’s former club, FC Barcelona. They’ll square off against Barcelona, AS Roma, Galatasaray, Slovan Bratislava at the Parc Des Princes while they’ll travel away from home to face Man City, Aston Villa, Villarreal, Como. They’re staunch favourites to win the UCL title and complete the three peat this season.
