The UEFA Champions League remains the pinnacle of European club football, blending drama, classic rivalries, and unforgettable moments every season.
As the 2025-2026 edition gets underway, excitement is at an all-time high following Paris Saint-Germain’s breakthrough triumph last May.
And now they are back to do it all over again. So let's take a look at this year’s group stage, key frontrunners, team-by-team betting odds, as well as legendary winners.
More importantly, a prediction on which team might lift the trophy in Budapest next spring.
When Is The Champions League Final 2026 On?
The 2026 UEFA Champions League final will take place on Saturday, 30 May 2026, at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary.
This will be the first time Budapest hosts the Champions League final, with the match scheduled to kick off at 17:00 BST (18:00 CET) to improve accessibility for fans and viewers.
So who do the bookies have as favourites and is there any value in the odds?
Champions League 2026 Odds
Odds are from Betfred and are correct as of 3rd September 2025.
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Paris Saint-Germain | 11/2 |
| Liverpool | 6/1 |
| FC Barcelona | 6/1 |
| Real Madrid | 7/1 |
| Arsenal | 15/2 |
| Manchester City | 8/1 |
| FC Bayern Munchen | 11/1 |
| Chelsea | 12/1 |
| Napoli | 25/1 |
| Newcastle United | 28/1 |
| Atletico Madrid | 28/1 |
| Internazionale | 33/1 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 33/1 |
| Juventus | 50/1 |
| Bayer 04 Leverkusen | 50/1 |
| Borussia Dortmund | 50/1 |
The 2025-2026 Champions League: Format, Schedule, and Teams
The second year of the expanded 36-team “league phase” sees each club play eight matches before qualifiers move into knockouts.
The top eight progress directly to the round of 16, while those ranked 9th to 24th enter a playoff series.
Clubs ranked 25th to 36th are eliminated post-league phase.
Key Dates
League Phase Draw: August 28, 2025 (Monaco)
League Phase Start: September 16, 2025
Knockout Rounds: Start in February 2026
Final: May 30, 2026 (Puskás Aréna, Budapest)
The Group Stage: Teams and Structure
Here are the teams in the league phase for 2025-2026.
Due to the new format, there are 36 teams, not traditional groups, but each has eight scheduled matches.
| England | Spain | Italy | Germany | France | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liverpool | Barcelona | Napoli | Bayern München | Paris Saint-Germain | Ajax |
| Arsenal | Real Madrid | Inter Milan | Bayer Leverkusen | Marseille | PSV |
| Manchester City | Atlético Madrid | Atalanta | Eintracht Frankfurt | Monaco | Benfica |
| Chelsea | Athletic Club | Juventus | Borussia Dortmund | Sporting CP | |
| Newcastle United | Villarreal | Union Saint-Gilloise | |||
| Tottenham Hotspur | Club Brugge | ||||
| Galatasaray | |||||
| Slavia Praha | |||||
| Copenhagen | |||||
| Bodø/Glimt | |||||
| Pafos | |||||
| Kairat Almaty | |||||
| Qarabağ |
Prediction for the 2026 Winner
As the league phase begins, Liverpool stand out thanks to strategic signings and strong squad depth, but FC Barcelona’s rapid rebuild and PSG’s star power keep them in contention.
Real Madrid, famed for their Champions League pedigree, are perennial picks but may need to adapt to younger rivals.
Early expert predictions lean towards Barcelona for their attacking prowess, with Liverpool and PSG close behind.
PSG could find repeating success difficult after their treble in 2025, while Barcelona’s restructured defence could give them the edge in close knockout contests.
Based on expert analysis and early odds, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), and FC Barcelona are considered the leading contenders to win the Champions League in 2026.
If one clear prediction were to be made based on current consensus and betting forecasts, Barcelona may edge Liverpool and PSG for the title this season, with their strong attack and defensive improvements making them marginal favourites for Budapest 2026.
2025 Champions League Winners
In May 2025, Paris Saint-Germain finally claimed their maiden UEFA Champions League title with a commanding 5–0 victory over Internazionale at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
PSG’s historic win saw goals from Achraf Hakimi, Desire Doue (twice), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Senny Mayulu, marking the largest margin ever in a main European final.
Under coach Luis Enrique, PSG not only triumphed in Europe but also completed a treble, winning the league, domestic cup, and Champions League in a first for a French club.
The last rounds of the 2024–2025 campaign were dominated by PSG’s attacking flair and tactical discipline.
Arsenal, Real Madrid, and Liverpool also impressed in the knockout stages, with Arsenal finishing third in the league phase to clinch a round of 16 place and Real Madrid showing their habitual resilience.
Famous Past Winners and Back-to-Back Champions
The Champions League is synonymous with legendary clubs and Real Madrid lead the way with 14 titles, including three consecutive wins from 2016 to 2018.
French footballer Karim Benzema was also the top goalscorer in the tournament in 2022, scoring 15 goals for Real Madrid.
AC Milan, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona have also claimed multiple trophies, while only Real Madrid (twice) and AC Milan have won back-to-back titles in the Champions League era.
PSG will hope to emulate this feat, but retaining the trophy remains a monumental challenge.
With Liverpool, Barcelona, and Real Madrid refining their squads, a repeat by last year's winners appears unlikely—but never impossible.
Will Back-to-Back Titles Happen in 2026?
The expanded competition format and increasing squad parity make consecutive titles rare.
PSG’s depth and youthful energy offer hope, but historical precedent suggests another club will seize the moment in Budapest.
Recent odds and expert reviews tip the balance toward Barcelona and Liverpool, each with the momentum and squad strategy to challenge for the crown.
Yet, as always, the Champions League is a story built on surprise, drama, and footballing magic!
How Much Does A Team Get For Winning?
The prize money on offer is quite staggering, which is just one of the reasons teams want to win it so badly.
Here is the breakdown of prize money for the tournament in 2024:
- Play-off round: €4,290,000
- Base fee for group stage: €18,620,000
- League Phase victory: €2,100,000
- League Phase draw: €700,000
- League phase top 8: €2,000,000
- League phase ranked 9 through 16: €1,000,000
- Knockout round play-offs: €1,000,000
- Round of 16: €11,000,000
- Quarter-finals: €12,500,000
- Semi-finals: €15,000,000
- Runners-up: €18,500,000
- Champions: €25,000,000
Under this structure, a club can potentially earn more than €85 million in prize money alone, excluding shares from qualifying rounds, play-off rounds, or the market pool.
That said, every team reaching the league phase is guaranteed €18.62 million and additional payments are awarded based on league phase ranking before knockout rounds, with top 8 finishers earning a €2 million bonus.
Clubs advancing through the knockouts earn an escalating amount, culminating in €25 million for the winner and €18.5 million for the runner-up in the Budapest final.
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On top of these stage-specific amounts, clubs also benefit from a market pool allocation, influenced by their country’s TV market and UEFA coefficient ranking, which can add tens of millions in further payments.
This prize structure makes the Champions League not only the continent’s most prestigious football tournament, but also its richest.
In the 2019-20 season, Paris Saint-Germain, the runners-up, earned a total of nearly €126.8 million, with €101.3 million coming from prize money.
On the other hand, Bayern Munich, the tournament winners, earned €125.46 million, including €112.96 million in prize money.
How Did The UEFA Champions League Start?
Formerly known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup, it originated from the idea of creating a competition to determine the best club team in Europe.
The tournament was officially established in 1955, following discussions between French sports journalist Gabriel Hanot, who worked for the French newspaper L'Équipe, and the French Football Federation.
Hanot proposed the concept of a pan-European club competition to UEFA (Union of European Football Associations), the governing body for football in Europe, as a means to determine the true champions of the continent.
UEFA embraced the idea, and the inaugural European Champion Clubs' Cup was held in the 1955-1956 season.
Initially, participation in the tournament was limited to the champions of each national league from the UEFA member associations. However, over time, the format evolved to include multiple teams from top leagues and incorporate runners-up and other high-ranking clubs as well.
The competition steadily grew in popularity, attracting significant attention and support from football fans across Europe.
It underwent various modifications, including the introduction of group stages in the 1992-1993 season and subsequent rebranding as the UEFA Champions League.
Today, the UEFA Champions League remains one of the most prestigious and widely followed club competitions in the world, featuring top clubs from Europe's national leagues battling it out for the coveted title.
How Does A Team Qualify?
A football team can qualify through several different avenues, depending on the regulations and criteria established by their national football association and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
The primary methods of qualification are as follows:
Domestic League Performance:
The most common path to qualification is through a team's performance in their domestic league.
Each national association receives a specific number of allocated spots in the Champions League based on the UEFA coefficient ranking, which takes into account the historical performance of teams from that country.
Typically, the highest-ranked teams in the domestic league, often the champions and sometimes runners-up, secure qualification for the Champions League.
Qualifying Rounds:
Teams that finish below the automatic qualification spots in their domestic league may enter the qualifying rounds.
These rounds consist of knockout matches between teams from various countries, with the winners advancing to the group stage of the tournament.
UEFA Europa League Performance:
If a team does not qualify for the Champions League through their domestic league position, they may have another opportunity by performing well in the UEFA Europa League.
The winners of the Europa League gain automatic entry into the following season's group stage.
Title Defence:
The team that wins the previous season's Champions League title automatically qualifies for the next edition of the tournament.
It's important to note that the specific qualification rules and criteria may vary from season to season, and UEFA periodically reviews and adjusts them.
Additionally, teams must meet certain eligibility requirements related to licensing, financial fair play, and other regulations set by UEFA in order to participate.
