Power Ranking Every Team in the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League

Midweek is about to get exciting again with the return of the UEFA Champions League.

The 36 participating teams in the league phase have finally been confirmed, so it's time to start sorting out the contenders from the pretenders.

What better way to do that than to rank the entire field? We've taken into account last season's performances, European pedigree, difference-making stars and managerial acumen to place each club from worst to first.

Which teams are the most likely to dethrone Paris Saint-Germain? Which are likely to be propping up the table? And which side could spring a surprising run into the latter stages?

Read on for Bleacher Report's UCL power ranking ahead of the tournament's league phase draw on August 27 and then kickoff on September 8.

Think you can do better? Leave your ranking in the comments.

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Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images

36. Sabah

2025-26 Azerbaijan Premier League: 1st

2025-26 Champions League Finish: N/A

Sabah are preparing for their first-ever appearance in the Champions League. In fact, it's the club's first major European competition after previously failing to get into the Conference League and the Europa League at the playoff stage. 

The side from Azerbaijan are less than a decade old, and they are now the second club from the nation to reach the UCL after Qarabag. 

It's a massive achievement for the Owls, but getting out of the league phase will be a really tough assignment.

35. Slovan Bratislava

2025-26 Slovak Super Liga Finish: 1st

2025-26 Champions League Finish: N/A

The champions of Slovakia needed extra time in their qualifying matchup against Celje, but they just about squeaked through with a 2-1 victory.

It marks the club's first appearance in the competition since 2024-25, when they finished 35th and couldn't pick up a single point.

34. AEK

2025-26 Super League Greece Finish: 1st

2025-26 Champions League Finish: N/A

AEK Athens snagged their Champions League place with a confident 4-0 second-leg victory over Levski Sofia, returning to the competition proper for the first time since 2018-19. 

The squad features a couple of notable veterans. In addition to Croatia legend Domagoj Vida, former Real Madrid and AC Milan forward Luka Jović also represents the Double-Headed Eagles.

33. LASK

2025-26 Austrian Bundesliga Finish: 1st

2025-26 Champions League Finish: N/A

LASK have never qualified for the Champions League proper, getting as far as the qualifying round in 2019-20, only to be eliminated by Club Brugge. 

But a stunning second-leg comeback over Scottish champions Celtic in qualifying has landed the Black and Whites in the main competition. 

A young squad might find it difficult against seasoned veterans on the European stage, but there's something to be said for youthful endeavor, which could lead to a shock or two. 

32. Viking

2025 Eliteserien Finish: 1st

2025-26 Champions League Finish: N/A

The second of the Norwegian representatives is Viking, an immediate new favorite team for anyone captivated by the iconic rowing among Norway fans at the 2026 World Cup. 

Viking might be trailing Bodo/Glimt heading into the final throes of the domestic season, but they are only a point behind with a little less than half the campaign remaining. 

It will be a fun side plot of the tournament to see which of the two national rivals finish higher in the league phase. 

31. Lille

2025-26 Ligue 1 Finish: 3rd

2025-26 Champions League Finish: N/A

After a stunning Ligue 1 win in 2020-21, Lille haven't hit those heights since. However, they do enjoy a European jaunt, reaching the UCL round of 16 in 2024-25 after finishing an impressive seventh in the league phase. 

Two years is a long time in football, though, and with Ayyoub Bouaddi now a Manchester City player and Matias Fernandez-Pardo potentially on the way out too, there's little hope for a similar stunning finish. 

30. Stuttgart

2025-26 Bundesliga Finish: 4th

2025-26 Champions League Finish: N/A

Stuttgart haven't progressed past the opening round of the Champions League since 2009-10. But in their last appearance in the league phase in 2024-25, they were just a point away from qualifying for the knockout playoff. 

Coming fourth in the Bundesliga shows there is quality in the squad, providing hope they can go one better this year.

29. Shakhtar Donetsk

2025-26 Ukrainian Premier League Finish: 1st

2025-26 Champions League Finish: N/A

Shakhtar Donetsk are once again champions of Ukraine after a surprising drop to third in 2024-25. With that, they are back in the Champions League.

A run to the quarter-finals as in 2010-11 is likely out of the question, with the team having to play their "home" games at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge this season because of Russia's ongoing war in the country. An absence of loyal fans will make an already tricky assignment much harder.

28. Slavia Praha

2025-26 Czech First League Finish: 1st

2025-26 Champions League Finish: League phase 34th

Czech champions Slavia Praha will at least be aiming for more points than the three they picked up in the UCL last season. 

Those came from three stalemates against Bodo/Glimt, Atalanta and Athletic Club, with defeats being dealt by Internazionale, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona and Pafos. 

A single victory against a lower-ranked team would mark an improvement, but it won't secure a trip past the league phase.

27. Feyenoord

2025-26 Eredivisie Finish: 2nd

2025-26 Champions League Finish: N/A

A second-place finish in the Dutch league looks great on paper, but Feyenoord were 19 points adrift of PSV by season's end. Meanwhile, a 29th-place finish in last season's Europa League doesn't bring much cause for optimism, either. 

Giovanni van Bronckhorst is back in the dugout after a seven-year absence, and avoiding humiliation will be his main goal.

26. Fenerbahce 

2025-26 Turkish Super Lig Finish: 2nd

2025-26 Champions League Finish: N/A

A trip through the qualification stages might not suggest it, but Fenerbahce have quietly built a squad of quality and experience. 

Ederson, Milan Skriniar, N'Golo Kante and Romelu Lukaku make up a formidable spine, even if some aren't quite at their prime level. 

Up against one of the tougher qualification opponents, Marseille, Fener came through with a 3-2 aggregate victory. That experience against a solid opponent will set the Turkish side up well for the league phase.

25. Lens

2025-26 Ligue 1 Finish: 2nd

2025-26 Champions League Finish: N/A

Lens pushed PSG all the way in Ligue 1 last season, finishing just six points behind their much wealthier and far more talented neighbors to the south. 

That success was perhaps a poisoned chalice, with manager Pierre Sage being plucked from the club by Crystal Palace. 

Dino Toppmöller is in charge now, and his domestic campaign began with a 5-2 victory over Auxerre. It's a promising start, but European action is a whole different level.

24. Real Betis

2025-26 La Liga Finish: 5th

2025-26 Champions League Finish: N/A

Real Betis are back in the competition for the first time since 2005-06. With wily veteran manager Manuel Pellegrini in charge, Los Verdiblancos have hovered around La Liga's top six for the past five seasons, and they reached the Europa League quarterfinal in the last campaign. 

Veterans like Marc Bartra, Hector Bellerin and Isco will ensure the mentality is right when the famous Champions League music plays.

23. Villarreal

2025-26 La Liga Finish: 3rd

2025-26 Champions League Finish: League phase 35th

Under Marcelino, Villarreal were making steady progress, climbing up the La Liga standings with every passing season. 

However, the 61-year-old is now seeking a new challenge, and it's difficult to see the club sustaining those ever-improving standards. 

The 2025-26 Champions League campaign saw the Yellow Submarine pick up a solitary point from eight games, finishing a single place off the bottom of the table. It might not get much better in 2026-27.

22. Como

2025-26 Serie A Finish: 4th

2025-26 Champions League Finish: N/A

Cesc Fabregas is back in the Champions League, but this time, he's entering the competition as a manager.

The Spaniard has done a fantastic job at newly flush Como, a club that was in the Italian second tier just two years ago. 

While expectations should be tempered, livewire Nico Paz has the ability to make magic happen, and that could lead to some surprise results.

In what will be their first-ever appearance in a European tournament, I Lariani will make club history one way or another.

21. Bodø/Glimt

2025 Eliteserien Finish: 2nd

2025-26 Champions League Finish: Round of 16

The darlings of the 2025-26 Champions League, Bodø/Glimt are back for another round of giant-killing.

After picking up draws with Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund in the league phase, the Norwegians concluded the stage with wins over Atletico Madrid and Manchester City, jumping into the knockout playoff round in 23rd place.

But they weren't done there. They then dispatched of Internazionale with victories in both legs, winning 5-2 on aggregate. While a 3-0 first-leg victory over Sporting CP in the round of 16 set them up for another historic result, the Portuguese side won 5-0 after extra time in the second leg to close the book on the fairytale run. 

The Eliteserien leaders will draw renewed attention this time around, and they've earned a sizable boost in the power ranking as a result. 

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20. RB Leipzig

2025-26 Bundesliga Finish: 3rd

2025-26 Champions League Finish: N/A

After a year away from the competition, RB Leipzig are back in the UEFA Champions League, with dreams of equalling the club's best finish—a semifinal berth in 2019-20.

Former Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Manchester City center-back Martin Demichelis is now in charge, and he'll be bringing his experience as a player in the tournament to the dugout. Departures of star players Yan Diomande and Lois Openda immediately make his task difficult, though.

19. Roma 

2025-26 Serie A Finish: 3rd

2025-26 Champions League Finish: N/A

Manager Gian Piero Gasperini consistently had Atalanta performing well above expectations during his nine-year stint. It seems he's now repeating the trick with Roma.

The Giallorossi finished third in Serie A last season, their highest finish since the 2017-18 campaign. That secured a return to the Champions League for the first time since 2018-19, and the side from the Italian capital should not be underestimated. 

Gasperini took Atalanta to the UCL quarterfinals in 2019-20, a fine example of the 68-year-old's capabilities in the competition.

18. Napoli

2025-26 Serie A Finish: 2nd

2025-26 Champions League Finish: League phase 30th

After securing a Serie A title in 2024-25, Napoli were expected to make swift progress through the following Champions League campaign.

However, the Antonio Conte second-year curse kicked in, and the Partenopei could only manage a 30th-place finish in the league stage. Of course, they also couldn't keep hold of their Serie A title, and Conte has since departed for pastures new.

Massimiliano Allegri is now at the helm, and the decorated manager is in the hunt for his first European title. 

Expect Napoli to be much more competitive this time around, at least progressing past the league phase.

17. PSV

2025-26 Eredivisie Finish: 1st

2025-26 Champions League Finish: League phase 28th

It's three Eredivisie titles in a row now for PSV and manager Peter Bosz, whose 28th-place finish in the UCL last time out paints over some impressive results. 

In a tough gauntlet of fixtures, the side from Eindhoven claimed a 6-2 home win against Napoli and thrashed Liverpool 4-1 at Anfield. 

But that was their only two victories from eight, with defeats to Union SG, Atletico Madrid, Newcastle United and Bayern Munich ultimately ending their campaign at the first stage. Just one more point would have been enough to extend their European run to at least another round.

16. Club Brugge

2025-26 Belgian Pro League Finish: 1st

2025-26 Champions League Finish: Knockout playoffs

Belgian Pro League champions Club Brugge snuck into last season's Champions League knockout playoff partly thanks to a well-deserved 3-3 home draw with Barcelona. 

While they secured the same result against Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the first elimination round, a 4-1 loss in the repeat fixture at the Wanda Metropolitano sent them packing. 

Still, a domestic title and a decent performance in the 2025-26 UCL give them a solid mid-table place for now. With genuine European pedigree arriving in the form of goalkeeper Yann Sommer, the club might be eyeing a round-of-16 spot.

15. Porto

2025-26 Primeira Liga Finish: 1st

2025-26 Champions League Finish: N/A

Porto lost just twice on the way to the Primeira Liga title last season, winning the Portuguese top flight for the first time since the 2021-22 campaign. 

Defeat in the Europa League quarterfinals to Nottingham Forest was undoubtedly disappointing, but manager Francesco Farioli had lost leading scorer Samu Aghehowa to injury by that point, making the task much more difficult. 

The 22-year-old forward could be back in action by November, which might boost Porto's chances of climbing up the league phase table. 

In power ranking terms, Os Dragões get a handy lift because of their league finish. If they can translate that form into European action, they could climb higher in no time. 

14. Manchester United

2025-26 Premier League Finish: 3rd

2025-26 Champions League Finish: N/A

Manchester United rode the Michael Carrick wave all the way to third spot in the Premier League last season, resulting in a Champions League return after a year away from the competition. 

But we've seen this story play out before. A temporary manager brings a short-term bounce in results, and after getting the job permanently, things start to unravel. The signs of the tale repeating were evident in the Red Devils' 2-0 loss to newly promoted side Hull City on the opening day of the season. 

Still, there is strength in the squad, headlined by Bruno Fernandes, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. United should handle the lower-ranked teams in the competition with ease, and the 14th spot here might seem a little harsh. However, with other teams having achieved more in European action last season, they can't yet climb much higher.

13. Galatasaray

2025-26 Super Lig Finish: 1st

2025-26 Champions League Finish: Round of 16

Galatasaray always carry an aura of danger about them in European competition. Rams Park is a terrifying venue to play at, and the home fans can make the situation oppressive for any opposing team. 

After a fourth Super Lig title on the bounce, it's clear which team is the one to beat in Turkey. Meanwhile, in European matters last season, the Lions earned wins over Liverpool, giant-killers Bodø/Glimt and Ajax in the league phase before sending Juventus packing in the knockout playoff. 

Gala can beat any team on its day, and with a striker like Victor Osimhen to deal with, defenses simply cannot let their guard down against the Turkish giants.

12. Aston Villa

2025-26 Premier League Finish: 4th

2025-26 Champions League Finish: N/A (Europa League winners)

The final days of the summer transfer window will be crucial for Europa League champions Aston Villa, who have been stripped for parts. 

Ezri Konsa, Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne have all departed Villa Park, while Ollie Watkins might soon be following. That dramatic loss of talent showed in a 4-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in their Premier League curtain-raiser. 

While the initial wave of replacements looked impressive, more is needed to bring Villa back to a level capable of challenging both domestically and in Europe. Unai Emery has proved adept at building competitive teams in European tournaments, but at the moment, the task appears too much to handle. 

The Villans should just make it through the league phase, but they won't get much further. Until proven otherwise, though, they take a fairly high spot in the power ranking thanks to winning the Europa League last season.

11. Liverpool

2025-26 Premier League Finish: 5th

2025-26 Champions League Finish: Quarterfinals

Liverpool are a really hard side to pin down at the moment. After last season's disaster, the club decided to swap Arne Slot for Andoni Iraola, and the Spaniard has the unenviable task of trying to make the $300 million duo of Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, who arrived last season, work. 

Things at least looked promising in their Premier League opener against Newcastle United. While the Reds needed a last-minute penalty to secure a draw, the play was much more positive than in Slot's final months in charge, although defensive frailties remained. 

The Champions League will offer the squad more time to get attuned to Iraola's methods, which might lead to a slow start and gradual improvement the longer they stay in the competition. 

The Merseysiders have automatically qualified for the last 16 in the last two Champions League campaigns, but doing so this time around might be out of the question. A run to the quarterfinals last season gives them a perhaps undeserved 11th spot in the power ranking as things stand.

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10. Borussia Dortmund

2025-26 Bundesliga Finish: 2nd

2025-26 Champions League Finish: Knockout playoffs

Borussia Dortmund disappointed in the Champions League last season, tumbling out of the competition at the knockout playoff round after a stunning second-leg comeback from Atalanta. 

But a second-placed finish in the Bundesliga was their best since 2022-23, and it looks like the Schwarzgelben will again be the closest challengers to Bayern Munich's domestic dominance. 

The league phase shouldn't cause too much bother, and Serhou Guirassy guarantees goals. A step further in the competition this season should be well within reach.

9. Sporting CP

2025-26 Primeira Liga Finish: 2nd

2025-26 Champions League Finish: Quarterfinals 

Sporting CP's run to the Champions League quarterfinal last season was a memorable one. 

Os Leões squeezed into an automatic round-of-16 spot at the last gasp, and they then secured a sensational aggregate win against Bodo/Glimt at that stage, overturning a 3-0 first-leg deficit with a 5-0 win in the second outing. 

They came unstuck against finalists Arsenal, but they certainly made the Gunners work for it. 

Sporting gets a hefty bump in the rankings because of that effort. Manager Rui Borges is still at the helm, and he'll try to replicate the formula this time around. 

Some key players have left, such as Morten Hjulmand, Ousmane Diomande, and Francisco Trincão, but they've so far managed to keep hold of Luis Suarez, who scored five goals in the competition last season.

8. Manchester City

2025-26 Premier League Finish: 2nd 

2025-26 Champions League Finish: Round of 16

It's all change at Manchester City. Pep Guardiola has left the Etihad Stadium after 10 years in charge, with Enzo Maresca arriving to take the Catalan's well-worn seat in the dugout. 

The Italian was perhaps a bold choice to take over, having comparatively little experience as a club manager. However, he was schooled under Guardiola's tutelage, perhaps making the transition a little easier.

But it's still a big challenge to replace one of the best football managers in history, and the scale of the task was illustrated in a nervy 2-1 win over Bournemouth in the opening Premier League fixture of the season. 

He won just three of his six Champions League games while in charge of Chelsea, although one of those was an impressive 3-0 victory over Barcelona. 

The 46-year-old has immense talent at his disposal at City, but the jury is still out on whether he can get the best from those players.

7. Atletico Madrid

2025-26 La Liga Finish: 4th

2025-26 Champions League Finish: Semifinals

Atletico Madrid surprisingly made the Champions League semifinals in 2025-26, with manager Diego Simeone proving he can still extract every last bit of ability from his players in European competition. 

That reputation alone makes Los Rojiblancos dangerous in Champions League matches. However, their ultimate success this season might depend on whether Julian Alvarez sticks around (and whether he can be integrated back into the team if he does).

Even so, Simeone will drag his team through the league phase one way or another. Going on a deep run can never be ruled out, either.

6. Internazionale

2025-26 Serie A Finish: 1st

2025-26 Champions League Finish: Knockout playoffs

Serie A title holders Internazionale will be desperate to avoid a repeat of their disappointing exit at the knockout playoff stage last season. 

The 2024-25 finalists finished a comfortable 10th in the league phase only to crash out to an upstart Bodo/Glimt side. 

Manager Cristian Chivu still achieved a league and Coppa Italia double, though, perhaps proving that the exit to the plucky Norwegian team was an unfortunate blip. In his second season in charge, he'll be better versed in how to handle the competition. 

Elite forward Lautaro Martinez is still around, and the club has strengthened with mostly English talent, including John Stones, Djed Spence and Curtis Jones. Those arrivals don't do that much to move the needle, but they at least provide greater squad depth with Champions League experience. 

As domestic title winners, they get a boost in the power rankings despite their lackluster showing in the UCL last time out.

5. Real Madrid

David Ramos/Getty Images

2025-26 La Liga Finish: 2nd

2025-26 Champions League Finish: Quarterfinals

Real Madrid, the most decorated team in Champions League history, are running it back, with former manager Jose Mourinho returning to his old stomping grounds. 

The Portuguese has won two European Cup titles during his decorated career, but neither of those came with Los Blancos. It's something that will be high on his agenda as he leads the club for a second time. 

The summer has seen some high-profile arrivals at the Santiago Bernabéu, including Yan Diomande, Marc Cucurella, Bernardo Silva, Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konaté and Carlos Espi. With players like Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham already at the club, there are few squads in the competition that are quite as formidable.

Whether Mourinho still has the managerial acumen to make them all click is another matter. The 63-year-old hasn't won a league title since 2014-15, and his last Champions League winners' medal came in 2009-10. His conservative style of play also might not suit a squad full of virtuosos.

This iteration of Real Madrid is perhaps the most interesting squad in the tournament. Progression to the knockouts seems like a given, but what they do from there is anyone's guess.

4. Bayern Munich

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2025-26 Bundesliga Finish: 1st

2025-26 Champions League Finish: Semifinals

Bayern Munich lost to eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals last season, which is nothing to be ashamed of. The 5-4 defeat in the first leg was one of the finest games the competition has ever seen, so neutrals will be tuning in to the Bavarians' matches hoping for more of the same.

The club's firepower remains, courtesy of Harry Kane, Luis Diaz and Michael Olise, and another Bundesliga title looks a near certainty. If it's another canter in domestic action, Vincent Kompany can fully throw the club's weight behind the pursuit of a first European Cup since 2019-20. 

Even if ultimate success isn't achieved, Bayern's UCL campaign should at least be entertaining.

3. Barcelona

Diego Souto/Getty Images

2025-26 La Liga Finish: 1st

2025-26 Champions League Finish: Quarterfinals

La Liga champions Barcelona will be among the clutch of favorites to win the competition. 

The Blaugrana have made a splash in the transfer market this summer, bringing in Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi, Joao Cancelo and Rodri. That last signing alone gives them a significant new edge, with the Spaniard the finest defensive midfielder on the planet. 

A little more protection for the back four gives Lamine Yamal and Raphinha increased license to do what they do best in the attacking third without worrying about what's going on behind them. The loss of Robert Lewandowski strips them of a focal point up front, but in Gordon, they've signed a player who scored 10 in the competition for Newcastle United last season. 

It might all come together for Barça in Europe this season, with manager Hansi Flick seeking to add a second Champions League winners' medal to his collection.

2. Arsenal

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2025-26 Premier League Finish: 1st

2025-26 Champions League Finish: Runners-up

While Arsenal broke their 22-year Premier League title drought in 2025-26, they couldn't end their long wait for a European Cup.

The Gunners lost in the Champions League final to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties, coming agonizingly close to a trophy that has so far eluded them.

In the 2026-27 tournament, the North Londoners have to be considered among the favorites to win, and at least to make the final. Mikel Arteta has built on an already stacked squad, investing in quality and depth that should help them compete across multiple competitions.

The Champions League will surely be a priority this season, and after falling at the final hurdle last time, the players will use that experience as fuel to go one better.

1. Paris Saint-Germain

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2025-26 Ligue 1 Finish: 1st

2025-26 Champions League Finish: Winners

Who can stop this Paris Saint-Germain side from winning a third Champions League title in a row?

The Parisiens have the luxury of taking it easy in their domestic league, with few challengers on their way to the Ligue 1 trophy. That means manager Luis Enrique can rotate top stars at will, keeping them fresh for European competition. 

In the past two Champions League campaigns, PSG have finished outside of the automatic round-of-16 qualification spots in the league phase. While that's put additional games on their schedule, that hasn't been an issue. In both cases, the French side got stronger as the competition progressed, culminating in back-to-back titles. 

It's perhaps a risky strategy, but it has served Enrique's side well so far. When you have a squad packed with elite talent, including Ousmane Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Vitinha, João Neves, and Desire Doué, you can trust that they can bring a performance when it really matters. 

PSG again have a target on their backs, but when it gets to the knockout stages, few have been able to hit it.