Champions League winner predictions: Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern Munich tipped for glory in 2026-27

The roadworthy to Madrid is astir to get underway, arsenic the 2026-27 Champions League due kicks disconnected connected September 8, 9 months earlier the past 2 remaining teams scrap for supremacy astatine the Wanda Metropolitano.

A Paris Saint-Germain three-peat could beryllium connected the cards aft Luis Enrique's men broke Arsenal hearts successful the 2025-26 final, but Mikel Arteta's men person already been backed to spell each the way successful the existent competition.

However, 15-time winners Real Madrid would emotion thing much than to reclaim their kings of Europe statement astatine the location of their metropolis rivals, portion Bayern Munich ought to consciousness that a archetypal UCL crown since 2020 is agelong overdue.

But what astir Barcelona and Lamine Yamal? Can Enzo Maresca animate Manchester City to glory? Or volition Manchester United oregon Liverpool outpouring a astonishment successful the coming months?

All that and much to beryllium answered, but up of the tournament's inaugural match, the Sports Mole squad picks their winners for the 2026-27 Champions League.

Barney Corkhill, Editor - Bayern Munich

There are lone 3 oregon 4 teams who I consciousness are starring candidates to triumph the Champions League this year, and nary of them person what I would see a implicit team, backmost to front.

PSG are astir apt closest, but winning the Champions League 3 years successful a enactment is specified a hard feat that it counts against them, and for maine the adjacent champion equilibrium betwixt onslaught and defence comes astatine Bayern Munich.

There are inactive weaknesses - for each of his legendary status, I have doubts astir a 41-year-old Manuel Neuer successful the second stages of the contention - but they person astir apt the champion centre-forward successful the world, an unthinkable attack, tons of experience, a home league which they are expected to triumph comfortably, and a little aggravated calendar than immoderate of the different large contenders.

Arsenal are besides successful the premix for me, but I consciousness their onslaught volition fto them down erstwhile it truly matters successful Europe, adjacent if it should inactive beryllium capable to triumph them the Premier League rubric again. 

Conversely, I deliberation the summation of Rodri to Barcelona catapults them up into the starring contenders too, but I uncertainty they could withstand Bayern oregon PSG's onslaught should they travel up against them.

Matt Law, Football Editor - Barcelona

Barcelona person been sensational successful the aboriginal stages of the 2026-27 La Liga season, and I'm backing the Catalan giants to secure Champions League occurrence this term. There stay concerns implicit their antiaircraft unit, particularly against the amended teams, but Hansi Flick has truthful overmuch prime successful the last 3rd of the field. Barcelona are my prime up of the likes of PSG, Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.

Ben Knapton, Site Coordinator - Arsenal

I person made a wont of siding with caput implicit bosom against my amended judgement, arsenic I'm yet to forgive myself for predicting a PSG triumph successful the 2026 final, oregon an inevitable England World Cup semi-final exit.

However, some the caput and the bosom are belatedly aligned, arsenic for the archetypal clip successful my existence, I person genuine, unwavering content that this twelvemonth volition beryllium Arsenal's twelvemonth successful the Champions League.

Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta person recruited for the now, bringing successful players successful the premier of their careers successful Bruno Guimaraes and Ezri Konsa, with the reasoning that they tin physique a reddish and achromatic dynasty implicit the adjacent fewer seasons.

Squad extent remains a large beardown constituent contempt the deficiency of a blockbuster attacker signing successful the summer, but with Martin Odegaard successful the signifier of his beingness and Kai Havertz excelling arsenic a fig nine, Arsenal person shown that they volition beryllium conscionable good without Vinicius Junior oregon Julian Alvarez.

Luck indispensable inactive beryllium connected Arsenal's broadside - William Saliba indispensable travel backmost for the knockouts similar helium ne'er left, Odegaard indispensable support his stellar form, and Declan Rice indispensable not miss a infinitesimal - but each the ingredients are yet there.

Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter - Barcelona

While galore volition respect holders Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and 15-time winners Real Madrid arsenic the main favourites to assistance the Champions League trophy, Barcelona besides person the credentials to triumph successful the 2026-27 tournament.

The La Liga champions person enforced their star-studded squad with caller signings including midfield metronome Rodri and versatile guardant Anthony Gordon, who scored 10 goals successful past season’s UCL.

This recently established extent beautifully complements world-class homegrown talents similar Lamine Yamal, Pedri and Pau Cubarsi, portion caller skipper Raphinha has proven successful caller years that helium tin nutrient moments of magic connected the biggest European stage.

Furthermore, caput manager Hansi Flick has instilled a relentless, high-pressing, vertical attacking strategy that has transformed Barcelona into a high-scoring powerhouse susceptible of overwhelming the apical defences connected the continent.

Backed by an immense hunger to assistance the Champions League for the archetypal clip since 2015, the Catalan giants person each the required components to reign implicit Europe erstwhile more.

Joel Lefevre, Reporter - Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich made immoderate beardown upgrades successful the summertime transportation window, which makes a beardown squad adjacent better. The additions of Nathaniel Brown and Ismael Saibari should springiness Vincent Kompany some antiaircraft screen and attacking versatility on a cub that’s already among the champion successful the world. 

This is an experienced radical who volition person felt a small hard done by fixed their semi-final exit and volition beryllium highly motivated. Harry Kane is inactive a extremity instrumentality and among the champion fig nines successful the world; if you adhd a 100% Alphonso Davies into that, you get a broadside highly dangerous. Let’s not hide Bayern have probably the champion playmaker successful shot contiguous successful Michael Olise. There’s tremendous spot everyplace you look connected this team, connected the bench and connected the pitch. 

Kompany’s broadside tin bushed you successful truthful galore antithetic ways and, for me, does not person immoderate large weaknesses to deliberation of, truthful I judge this is the play they assistance the Champions League trophy erstwhile again. 

Babatunde Kolawole, Reporter - Arsenal

Arsenal are my prime to triumph the 2026-27 Champions League. The Gunners reached past season’s last and person the antiaircraft structure, midfield power and attacking prime to spell 1 measurement further. The players person gained invaluable acquisition implicit the years and their progression shows that they use these lessons play aft season. They person faced and defeated immoderate of the champion teams successful Europe twelvemonth aft year, expanding content wrong the players and the manager. 

Nsidibe Akpan, Reporter - Arsenal

Saikat Mandal, Reporter - Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich were denied a spot successful past season's Champions League last aft a intimately fought semi-final decision to Paris Saint-Germain, but the German giants volition judge they person different cogwheel to find this clip around.

Ismael Saibari adds different magnitude to their attacking depth, portion the aboriginal signs suggest summertime accomplishment Nathaniel Brown could beryllium to beryllium a roaring success. If Bayern tin support Jamal Musiala acceptable and firing, determination is small uncertainty that they person the prime to bushed immoderate broadside connected their day.

Winning the Bundesliga has go astir breadstuff and food for the Bavarian giants, but home dominance unsocial volition not fulfill their ambitions. This could beryllium the play erstwhile Vincent Kompany genuinely announces himself connected the biggest signifier and takes his spot among Europe's elite managers.

Anthony Nolan, Reporter - Barcelona

Barcelona person been an attacking unit to beryllium reckoned with successful caller Champions League campaigns, but they person besides been defensively vulnerable, particularly successful transition.

However, the signing of Rodri from Manchester City could springiness Hansi Flick's broadside the extortion they request successful midfield to spell each the mode and assistance the trophy this season.

Even without the Ballon d'Or victor afloat settled into the XI, Barca person maintained a 100% grounds truthful acold this term, scoring 17 goals, conceding conscionable 2 and keeping 3 cleanable sheets from their 4 matches, demonstrating a dominance that they volition beryllium hoping to construe to the continental stage.

Lucas Tomazelli, Trivela Subcoordinator - Bayern Munich

Bayern’s rubric triumph could stem from a operation of factors: a beardown squad, Kompany’s enactment becoming much established, and a much controlled home league. These are conditions that could marque the quality implicit a agelong season.