The Champions League 2026-27 kicks off on Tuesday with one question hanging over Europe: can anyone stop Paris St-Germain? The French champions are chasing a third consecutive title, something only Real Madrid have achieved, between 2015 and 2018. The final takes place in Madrid on 5 June 2027. Five English clubs enter the league phase, with Arsenal the favourites to go one better than last season’s runners-up finish and finally deliver a first European Cup to north London. Here is a look at the favourites, what the experts and the numbers say, and the Premier League players to watch.
PSG are the favourites, and the history is on their side
PSG are the favourites for the Champions League 2026-27 because they have won the last two editions and kept Luis Enrique’s core together. BBC pundits Julien Laurens and Guillem Balague both point to Paris as the most complete squad in Europe: relentless pressing, control of possession and an attack led by Ousmane Dembélé, the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner.
No club has won three in a row since Real Madrid’s run from 2015 to 2018, and the statistics show why. Winning a knockout competition in consecutive seasons demands squad depth, luck with injuries and a hunger that is hard to sustain. PSG have already shown the first two. The third is the one Arsenal and the rest of Europe are hoping fades.
Arsenal lead the English challenge
Arsenal are the Premier League’s best hope of dethroning PSG. Mikel Arteta’s side reached last season’s final and are the bookmakers’ pick among the English clubs, backed by a squad that now has genuine experience of European knockout nights. The Gunners have never won the competition, and the sense around the Emirates is that this is the closest they have ever been.
Five English clubs make the league phase this season, which gives the Premier League more shots at the trophy than any other league. The catch, as the numbers show, is fatigue. English sides play more high-intensity matches than anyone across the domestic season and the winter period, and that has repeatedly caught up with them when the knockout rounds arrive in spring.
Premier League players to watch
Bukayo Saka is the player Arsenal’s campaign revolves around. The England winger’s goals and assists from the right have driven the Gunners’ European runs, and his direct duel with PSG’s Nuno Mendes was one of the defining battles of last season’s final. Alongside him, Declan Rice’s late-game influence and the leadership of Martin Ødegaard give Arteta a spine that can compete with anyone.
Beyond Arsenal, the Premier League’s Champions League contingent is packed with elite talent. Erling Haaland remains the most prolific striker in the competition’s modern era, Mohamed Salah continues to set records in Europe, and Cole Palmer is the creative reference point for a Chelsea side that has grown up quickly in continental football. England internationals such as Jude Bellingham, at Real Madrid, will also be central to the story from outside the Premier League.
The format and the road to Madrid
The 36-team league phase returns for a third season. Each club plays eight different opponents, four at home and four away. The top eight go straight into the last 16, teams finishing ninth to 24th enter a play-off round, and everyone else is out of Europe entirely with no Europa League safety net.
The final is at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid on 5 June 2027, home of Atlético Madrid. For Arsenal, it would be a fitting stage to end the wait. For PSG, it would mean matching Real Madrid’s record in the Spanish capital itself. Either way, the league phase that starts on Tuesday is where the journey begins.
FAQ
When does the Champions League 2026-27 start?
The league phase begins on Tuesday, with 36 clubs playing eight matchdays through to January 2027.
Who are the favourites to win the Champions League 2026-27?
PSG, winners of the last two editions, are favourites. Arsenal, last season’s runners-up, are seen as their main challengers, ahead of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Where is the Champions League 2027 final?
The final is at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain, on 5 June 2027.
How many English clubs are in the Champions League this season?
Five Premier League clubs are in the league phase, with Arsenal rated the strongest of the English contenders.
Can PSG win three Champions Leagues in a row?
That is their aim. Only Real Madrid have won three consecutive titles in the Champions League era, from 2015 to 2018.
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