Champions League Players to Watch in 2026/27: Top 12
Champions League players to watch in 2026/27: Yamal, Kane, Haaland, Rodri and eight more, with summer moves, Matchday 1 form and ChampBet outright prices.
In this guide
The Champions League players to watch in 2026/27 start with the usual names, Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé, but this season’s list also has a new shape. Rodri now plays for Barcelona, Enzo Fernández for Manchester City and Ferran Torres for PSG, and all three have started well. Here are the 12 players we think will decide the season, by position, with their ChampBet prices.
All prices are ChampBet odds on 7 October 2026 from the top goalscorer and most assists markets, and they move after every matchday. Matchday 1 was played on 8 to 10 September; Matchday 2 is on 13 and 14 October.
The 12 Champions League players to watch at a glance
| Player | Club | Position | ChampBet price (7 Oct) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kylian Mbappé | Real Madrid | Striker | Top scorer 6.00 |
| Erling Haaland | Man City | Striker | Top scorer 6.50 |
| Harry Kane | Bayern Munich | Striker | Top scorer 7.00 |
| Ferran Torres | PSG | Striker | Top scorer 11.00 |
| Lamine Yamal | Barcelona | Right winger | Most assists 6.00 |
| Michael Olise | Bayern Munich | Right winger | Most assists 10.00 |
| Ousmane Dembélé | PSG | Forward | Most assists 10.00 |
| Raphinha | Barcelona | Forward | Top scorer 13.00 |
| Rodri | Barcelona | Defensive midfielder | Most assists 34.00 |
| Enzo Fernández | Man City | Central midfielder | Most assists 34.00 |
| Martin Ødegaard | Arsenal | Attacking midfielder | Most assists 34.00 |
| Denzel Dumfries | Real Madrid | Right-back | Most assists 41.00 |
Strikers
1. Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid)
Mbappé scored the opener in Real’s 2-1 win over Inter on Matchday 1, his 71st Champions League goal, level with Raúl in fifth on the all-time list. He has seven goals in seven La Liga games and takes Real’s penalties. The worry is a left knee injury from France duty: Real’s main aim is to have him fully fit for El Clásico on 25 October, so check the team news before Roma away on Matchday 2. Top scorer 6.00, the favourite.
2. Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
Haaland scored both goals in City’s 2-0 win at Porto and has five in five Premier League games. City host PSG on Matchday 2 in the biggest game of the round, and he asked to come off for Norway on 4 October, which his coach put down to workload. Our Man City vs PSG prediction tracks his fitness. Top scorer 6.50.
3. Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
Kane headed in Olise’s free kick against Bodø/Glimt for a goal in eight consecutive Champions League matches, and he is Bayern’s penalty taker. Bayern go to Viking on Matchday 2 as 1.08 favourites. Top scorer 7.00, and our pick in the Champions League top scorer predictions.
4. Ferran Torres (PSG)
The biggest story of Matchday 1. Ferran Torres, who scored the winning goal for Spain at the World Cup, joined PSG from Barcelona in August for a reported €50 million, according to the BBC. He then scored a hat-trick on his Champions League debut for the club in a 6-1 win over Slovan Bratislava and was named UEFA’s Player of the Week. Top scorer 11.00.
Wingers and creators
5. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
Yamal scored a free kick and set up two goals in the 5-1 win over Feyenoord, and has seven goals and four assists in seven La Liga games. He also shares penalty duty with Raphinha. Barcelona go to Galatasaray on Matchday 2 and PSG on Matchday 3. Most assists 6.00, the favourite; top scorer 21.00.
6. Michael Olise (Bayern Munich)
Olise scored twice against Bodø/Glimt and his free kick set up Kane’s header. Against Union Berlin in the Bundesliga he added a hat-trick, won the penalty Kane scored and crossed for Kane’s second. He is Bayern’s chief creator. Most assists 10.00; top scorer 26.00.
7. Ousmane Dembélé (PSG)
The 2025 Ballon d’Or winner scored twice and set up two of Ferran Torres’s goals against Slovan, one of the best all-round displays of Matchday 1. PSG, champions in each of the last two seasons, have the hardest remaining fixtures of the favourites, starting at Manchester City. Most assists 10.00; top scorer 11.00.
8. Raphinha (Barcelona)
Raphinha scored twice against Feyenoord and leads La Liga with 12 goals in seven games. A minor thigh problem on Brazil duty showed no structural damage. Top scorer 13.00, our value pick; most assists 17.00.
Midfielders
9. Rodri (Barcelona)
The former Ballon d’Or winner and Spain World Cup winner joined Barcelona from Manchester City for £65.4 million in August, Sky Sports reported, on a four-year deal. He played 83 minutes against Feyenoord. He will not top any scoring chart, but he controls the tempo for Yamal and Raphinha, and he faces his old club at Camp Nou on Matchday 6. Most assists 34.00.
10. Enzo Fernández (Manchester City)
City signed the Argentina midfielder from Chelsea on deadline day for a reported £125 million, a joint Premier League record. Within a week his cross had set up Haaland’s opener in Porto. Playing deeper than a winger, he will not rack up assists at Yamal’s rate, which is why the price is longer, but his range of passing makes him City’s link from midfield to Haaland. Most assists 34.00.
11. Martin Ødegaard (Arsenal)
Ødegaard scored the only goal in Napoli after a one-two with substitute Christos Tzolis, in a game where Arsenal had 26 shots, their most in a Champions League match on record, according to Sky Sports. Arsenal host Lille on Matchday 2 at 1.25, then visit Bayern. Most assists 34.00.
Defenders
12. Denzel Dumfries (Real Madrid)
Real Madrid signed Dumfries from Inter in July on a contract until 2030. He played all 90 minutes against his old club on Matchday 1. His runs from right-back give Real width beside Mbappé and Vinícius Jr, and his crosses are a big part of how Real attack. Most assists 41.00, the same as PSG’s Achraf Hakimi.
Champions League summer signings to watch
| Player | Move | Reported fee |
|---|---|---|
| Yan Diomande | RB Leipzig to Real Madrid | Up to €140m |
| Enzo Fernández | Chelsea to Man City | £125m |
| Bradley Barcola | PSG to Liverpool | £106m, rising to £123m |
| Anthony Gordon | Newcastle to Barcelona | €70m, rising past €80m |
| Rodri | Man City to Barcelona | £65.4m |
| Ferran Torres | Barcelona to PSG | About €50m |
Gordon is 19.00 for most assists and already has four assists in La Liga. Barcola is 51.00 for top scorer at Liverpool, and Diomande, a 19-year-old Ivory Coast winger, is 51.00 at Real Madrid.
The Nigerian angle
Ademola Lookman joined Atlético Madrid from Atalanta in the 2026 winter window and is 67.00 for top scorer, with Atlético hosting Manchester United on Matchday 2. Victor Osimhen missed Galatasaray’s opener with an adductor strain and is also 67.00, ahead of Barcelona’s visit to Istanbul. Our guide to Nigerian players in the Champions League covers every Super Eagles player in the league phase, and the previews of Atlético Madrid vs Man Utd and Galatasaray vs Barcelona have the team news.
How to use this list when you bet
- Start with the outrights. The top goalscorer and most assists markets sit in the ChampBet Champions League section. Keep the stake small, because the money is tied up until June.
- Check fitness before every matchday. Mbappé, Haaland and Raphinha all had knocks in the international break. Prices on match markets move fast when a star is ruled out.
- Back form into match markets. A creator in form points you towards both teams to score or goal lines, which our over 2.5 goals tips explain.
- Share a slip. Build your bet, tap SHARE BET and send the code. Our booking code guide shows how.
The Champions League coupon on ChampBet, with the bet slip on the right.
Predictions are our opinion and football is unpredictable, so treat these as views, not promises.
Every kick-off in WAT is in our Champions League fixtures in Nigerian time. Arsenal’s attackers are in action in our Arsenal vs Lille prediction.
For markets and the league-phase format, read our Champions League betting tips.
Follow the stars on ChampBet
ChampBet, the new Lagos-licensed sportsbook, prices every Champions League game pre-match and on the live betting page. For our pick on every Matchday 2 game, start at the Champions League hub, and for the matches themselves go straight to the ChampBet sportsbook.
Frequently asked questions
Who are the best players in the Champions League in 2026/27?
The players the market rates highest are Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane for goals, and Lamine Yamal, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembélé for assists. On ChampBet odds on 7 October 2026, Mbappé was 6.00 for top scorer and Yamal 6.00 for most assists.
Who scored hat-tricks on Champions League Matchday 1 in 2026/27?
Two players. Ferran Torres scored three on his Champions League debut for PSG in a 6-1 win over Slovan Bratislava, and Ermedin Demirović scored a first-half hat-trick in Stuttgart's 3-1 win over Viking. Both lead the scoring charts going into Matchday 2.
What were the biggest Champions League transfers of summer 2026?
Real Madrid signed Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig in a deal worth up to €140 million, Manchester City paid a reported £125 million for Enzo Fernández, Liverpool paid an initial £106 million for Bradley Barcola and Barcelona signed Rodri from City for £65.4 million.
Which Nigerian players are in the Champions League this season?
The best known are Ademola Lookman at Atlético Madrid and Victor Osimhen at Galatasaray. Moses Usor (LASK) and Zaidu Sanusi (Porto) are the other Super Eagles internationals, and Slavia Praha have four Nigerians. Our Nigerian players guide lists them all with fixtures and prices.
