Champions League 2026/27: Favourites, Dark Horses & Predictions

Paris Saint-Germain are Champions League holders for the second year running, and for the first time in the competition's history, a club is genuinely expected to win three in a row. The 2026/27 Champions League promises to be a blockbuster edition — with five English clubs, a fairy-tale debutant in Como, and a final at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid. Here is everything you need to know, and who we think will lift the trophy on 5 June 2027.

PSG: Can Anyone Stop the Three-Peat?

Luis Enrique has built something extraordinary in Paris. Back-to-back Champions League titles, a FIFA Intercontinental Cup, and a rare sextuple in 2025 — PSG are no longer the perennial underachievers of European football. They are the standard.

The 2025/26 campaign was far from straightforward. PSG finished just 11th in the league phase (W4 D2 L2), scraped past Monaco 5–4 on aggregate in the play-offs, and demolished Chelsea 8–2 in the round of 16. A 4–0 demolition of Liverpool in the quarter-finals and a thrilling 6–5 aggregate victory over Bayern Munich in the semis led to a Budapest final against Arsenal, where Ousmane Dembélé's second-half penalty forced extra time before PSG prevailed 4–3 on spot-kicks.

At +500, they are clear favourites again. The summer could bring significant squad turnover — Bradley Barcola has been linked with Liverpool, Gonçalo Ramos may leave, and goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier lost his place to Matvey Safonov mid-season. But with Vitinha (man of the match in the final), Dembélé, and Désiré Doué still at the core, plus the inevitable World Cup-window signings, PSG have the depth and the mentality to go again.

Only Real Madrid (2016–18) have won three consecutive Champions League titles in the modern era. History is against PSG — but so was winning their first, and their second.

Arsenal: Revenge on Their Minds

No team enters 2026/27 with more motivation than Arsenal. Mikel Arteta's side reached the final in Budapest, took the lead through Kai Havertz inside five minutes, and were just one penalty away from lifting the trophy for the first time in their history. Gabriel Magalhães' miss from the spot handed it to PSG.

The pain of that night will fuel Arsenal's campaign. They are Premier League champions for the first time since 2004, with a squad that is arguably the strongest in England: Viktor Gyökeres leading the line, Martin Ødegaard pulling the strings, and David Raya — winner of three consecutive Golden Gloves — behind the best defensive partnership in Europe in William Saliba and Gabriel.

At +600, Arsenal are second favourites and with good reason. This is a team that has been building for five years. The Champions League is the one trophy missing from Arteta's cabinet, and you can be sure it is the number one priority this season.

Bayern Munich: The Perennial Threat

Bayern Munich were seconds away from the final themselves, losing 6–5 on aggregate to PSG in a semi-final for the ages. With six European Cups to their name and the financial muscle to recruit at the very highest level, Bayern will fancy their chances of going one better.

The Bavarians have qualified comfortably from the Bundesliga, and their blend of experience and emerging talent makes them a nightmare draw for anyone in the league phase. At +650, they represent excellent value — and the Estadio Metropolitano final in Madrid will feel like a neutral venue where their big-game pedigree could prove decisive.

The Contenders: Barcelona, Manchester City & Real Madrid

Barcelona have been quietly impressive under Hansi Flick, with Lamine Yamal and Pedri forming one of the most exciting young partnerships in world football. They reached the quarter-finals last season and will be desperate to reclaim European glory after a barren spell by their standards — their last Champions League title was in 2015.

Manchester City face their first Champions League campaign of the post-Guardiola era under Enzo Maresca. The squad has lost Bernardo Silva, John Stones, and Ederson, but Erling Haaland (27 Premier League goals last season) and Rayan Cherki give them firepower. Whether Maresca can replicate Guardiola's European nous is the biggest question mark.

Real Madrid, the most decorated club in the competition's history with 15 titles, find themselves in an unfamiliar position — outsiders. Their round-of-16 exit last season was a humbling experience, but writing off Los Blancos in a competition they have made their own is always a mistake.

The Dark Horses

This is where the 2026/27 Champions League gets truly exciting.

Como are the story of the tournament before it has even begun. Cesc Fàbregas has taken the Italian club from Serie B obscurity to their first-ever Champions League campaign in a matter of years. They will not win it — but they will be every neutral's favourite, and they are more than capable of causing upsets in the league phase.

Sporting CP earned a bonus league-phase spot thanks to the redistribution of qualification places and will look to build on their growing European reputation. Lens, France's surprise package who pushed PSG in the Ligue 1 title race, bring an exciting squad packed with ex-Premier League talent. And keep an eye on Aston Villa, Europa League winners under Unai Emery, who have proven they belong at this level.

The Champions League trophy on display during the UEFA Trophy Tour in Zagreb

Key Dates for Your Diary

Our Prediction

PSG's three-peat bid will fall short. Winning three consecutive Champions League titles is one of the hardest feats in football — only Real Madrid's 2016–18 squad and the great Madrid side of the late 1950s have managed it. The weight of history, inevitable squad fatigue, and a World Cup summer disrupting pre-season preparation all point towards a changing of the guard.

Arsenal are our pick to win the 2026/27 Champions League. The heartbreak of Budapest will drive them, their squad depth is exceptional, and Arteta's tactical evolution over the past five years has turned them into genuine European heavyweights. This feels like their year.

Our predicted semi-finalists: Arsenal, PSG, Bayern Munich, Barcelona.

The Champions League is the ultimate test of squad quality, tactical intelligence, and nerve. Whether you are backing a three-peat or a first title, set up your prediction league on ScorePit and put your Champions League knowledge to the test against your mates.

Sources

This post was researched using the following sources:

• Champions League 2026/27 odds: PSG favourites for three-peat — VegasInsider
• Champions League 2026/27 odds: PSG open as favourites — Covers
• PSG retain 2026 Champions League by beating Arsenal on penalties — Olympics.com
• 2025–26 UEFA Champions League — Wikipedia
• 2026–27 Champions League: Teams, dates, draws, format, final — UEFA.com
• Teams qualified for 2026/27 Champions League — Olympics.com
• Six surprise teams qualified for next season's Champions League — Planet Football
• Champions League winners list — UEFA.com
• Players likely to leave PSG this summer — PSG Talk
• Champions League 2026/27 predictions — FIFPlay

Cover image: Champions League trophy, dom fellowes via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. Inline image: Champions League trophy on display during the UEFA Trophy Tour in Zagreb, Djuradj Vujcic via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.