The UEFA Champions League tournament is well underway now, and Europe’s elite soccer teams are already making it known who the top contenders are for the crown.
Last season’s edition of the competition saw Paris Saint-Germain claim their first ever victory in the tournament, defeating Inter Milan 5-0 in a record-breaking finale, cementing themselves as the best team on the continent.
But this season, they have stiff competition they must overcome if they want to go back-to-back. We’ll take a look at the top candidates to lift the trophy at the end of the season and provide you with our best free soccer betting picks, as we look to earn you some extra cash while you enjoy the action on the pitch.
| Champions League 25/26 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paris Saint-Germain | +500 | +450 | +450 |
| Arsenal | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| Liverpool | +700 | +700 | +700 |
| Barcelona | +700 | +600 | +600 |
| Bayern Munich | +750 | +700 | +700 |
| Real Madrid | +800 | +900 | +900 |
Check out the best Champions League betting sites here.
Below you’ll find a list of favorites to win the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League tournament.
The current reigning and defending European champions, PSG have began their season in sensational form and are right on course to go back-to-back once again.
Their opening three games in the competition saw the French champions dismantle Italian giants Atalanta 4-0, before beating Barcelona 2-1 and then defeating Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen 7-2, going unbeaten so far. Those victories also came despite a host of first-team regulars such as Marquinhos, Desire Doue and Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele suffering with injuries.
One issue the team may have later in the season is burnout. The team played the maximum number of games they could have last season, including reaching the Club World Cup final, where they lost to Chelsea, and then they had a very small two-week break before their season started again.
Their squad isn’t the biggest and while they’re incredibly talented, they’re only human. Injuries, burnout and poor form at some point are inevitable, and with only one team ever winning this competition in back-to-back seasons, history is against them. At +500, this is probably a bet to avoid for now.
Check out our review for BetOnline sports betting here.
Mikel Arteta has built one of the strongest squads Arsenal have had this century, and this season it seems as though they are finally reaching their full potential too.
The Gunners sit top of the English Premier League after nine games, four points clear of their closest rivals, while they have also won all three of their Champions League games this season against Athletic Club, Olympiacos and Atletico Madrid without conceding a goal. In fact, they have conceded just three goals in 13 games in all competitions this season.
The likes of Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Viktor Gyokeres and William Saliba are among the best in the world in their position, and the squad is deep enough that they can cope with injuries and poor form too.
The Londoners have never won this competition in their illustrious history, and they will no doubt be prioritising the domestic league instead, but at +500, the value for them to go further than the semi-final they reached last year is excellent.
The reigning Bundesliga champions are the only team in Europe’s top five leagues to have won every single game they’ve played so far this season, and Vincent Kompany has managed to do that despite key players like Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies being unavailable with serious injuries.
Bayern will expect to welcome them back at some point in the new year, and that will help strengthen their bid to get to the latter rounds of the competition too.
The German side last won this competition in 2020 during the much-changed comeptition format due to COVID-19, and they will be keen to get another success under their belt.
At +750 the value is sensational for a European giant with such pedigree, but their squad isn’t the biggest and injuries to someone like Harry Kane could hurt them in the long run. It’s tasty, but by no means a banker.
The most successful club team in European football history, Xabi Alonso‘s side have begun their campaign in near-perfect fashion under their new manager.
Kylian Mbappe is on fire once again, and the boss has managed to find a system that also gets the best out of stars like Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler and Franco Mastantuono as well, which makes them a threat no matter who the opposition are.
Having won the tournament 15 times, more than double the next best outfit, it’s widely considered that this tournament is theirs to lose when they’re up for it. With the talent in their squad, they also have a fantastic blend of experience at the highest level and hunger to win for the first time.
You can rarely find Real Madrid to win the Champions League at odds as wide as +900, and honestly, it’s too good to turn down. Nobody will be surprised at all if they win the tournament again, so take this price while you can.
Check out our review for Bovada sports betting here.
About the Author
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.
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