Europe's Greatest Groups: The place Barcelona, PSG, Liverpool Rank Amongst High 20

Doug McIntyre

Soccer Journalist

How can we fill the times till the 2026 World Cup? By maintaining with a few of the world’s prime sides in what might be an action-packed European membership season.

Three of the continent’s Huge 5 circuits – England’s Premier League, Spain’s La Liga and Ligue 1 in France – kick off this weekend, with Germany’s Bundesliga and Italy’s Serie A following on Aug. 22 and 23, respectively. In different nations, home league motion is already underway.

However these are the 20 golf equipment to look at, loaded with the celebrities we’ll be seeing subsequent summer season. Forward of the highest European campaigns kicking off, let’s rely down the groups who’ll shine the brightest.

Be aware: League positions replicate final season’s end.

So what if the defending European champions misplaced decisively to Chelsea in final month’s FIFA Membership World Cup remaining? Luis Enrique’s PSG continues to be the group to beat in 2025-26. Luis Enrique returns near his total squad from final season’s long-awaited triumph, although keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma might go away this month. If he does, the Parisians have already got Donnarumma’s alternative in French worldwide Lucas Chevalier, who arrived from Lille for $47 million.

Final 12 months, the Reds ran away with the Premier League title, besting second-place Arsenal by 10 factors. Regardless of the tragic loss of life of ahead Diogo Jota, Liverpool has solely gotten higher this summer season. Arne Slot’s facet has been the massive winner of this switch window, dropping north of $350 million on backup keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, defenders Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, and forwards Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz. No marvel they’re the favorites to retain the English title.

Baca was simply seconds away from reaching the UEFA Champions League remaining final season underneath first-year supervisor Hansi Flick. This season, the Blaugrana want to go at the least one step additional. Who says they will’t? Eighteen-year-old Lamine Yamal is on his approach to changing into the world’s finest participant — if he isn’t already. Fellow Ballon d’Or candidate Raphinha had 34 targets in all competitions in 2024-25, doubling his earlier career-best. Robert Lewandowski, who turns 37 on Aug. 21, stays an elite striker. Pedri runs the present behind them. The remainder of the regulars return, too, with ahead Marcus Rashford the marquee summer season addition.

After ending fourth within the Prem final time period, the Blues shocked many by successful the expanded, 32-team Membership World Cup in July. Can they harness that momentum and use it to problem for English and European titles subsequent spring? They’ve bought the firepower. Chelsea have already got an rising celebrity in winger Cole Palmer — this season he’ll be supported by new recruits like strikers Liam Delap and João Pedro, Pedro’s fellow Brazilian attacker Estêvão, and English ahead Jamie Gittens.

The Premier League runner-up in every of the final three seasons, what Mikel Arteta’s group is lacking at this level are trophies. Nonetheless, Arsenal continues to enhance. The Gunners knocked then-Champions League holders Actual Madrid out of Europe’s prime membership match final April, snaring a convincing 5-1 mixture win. And so they’ve added actual high quality this summer season within the type of defensive midfielder Martín Zubimendi and forwards Viktor Gyökeres and Noni Madueke.

The document 15-time European champs are coming off what, by their requirements, was a dreadful 2024-25, with no main titles secured. However Los Blancos nonetheless boast one of many deepest, costliest squads on Planet Fútbol. And Kylian Mbappé & Co. at the moment are led by one of many sport’s nice up-and-coming coaches in former Actual Madrid captain Xabi Alonso, who changed the legendary Carlo Ancelotti in June.

Metropolis’s unprecedented run of 4 consecutive Premier League titles got here to a halt final season, when Pep Guardiola’s facet completed third, misplaced the FA Cup remaining to Crystal Palace, and had been eradicated from European play earlier than the Champions League’s spherical of 16 even started. This group is simply too good to not bounce again in a giant approach this 12 months, although — even with out membership legend Kevin de Bruyne, whose contract wasn’t prolonged.

Having reached the UEFA Champions League remaining in two of the final three seasons, no one ought to underestimate the Nerazzurri. Inter added Croatian midfielder Petar Sučić, Brazilian winger Luis Henrique and French striker Ange-Yoan Bonny this summer season. In addition to veteran ahead Joaquín Correa, their most vital departure is supervisor Simone Inzaghi, who was changed by former Inter defender Cristian Chivu in June.

After dropping the German title to Bayer Leverkusen in 2023-24, Bayern reclaimed its standing because the Bundesliga’s standard-bearer final season, ending as champs for the twelfth time in 13 seasons. Issues might be completely different this 12 months with out membership legend (and new Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder) Thomas Müller, with Leroy Sané leaving, too. However the $81 million arrival of Colombian winger Luis Díaz from Liverpool will assist.

Can Atleti finish their four-year title drought and beat Barcelona and Actual Madrid to La Liga glory this season? Sometimes, Madrid’s different group outlasts Spain’s double-headed monster. Longtime supervisor Diego Simeone might be hoping his group is due after a powerful summer season switch window which noticed $185 million-worth of latest expertise arrive — together with former Villarreal attacker Álex Baena, USMNT midfielder Johnny Cardoso and Argentine World Cup-winner (and Atlanta United alum) Thiago Almada.

Scudetto winners in 2023 and 2025, the Neapolitans are little doubt aiming for comparable success in European play this season to have a good time the membership’s centennial. The arrival of Champions League winner Kevin de Bruyne on a free switch from Manchester Metropolis cannot damage. Neither will ahead Noa Lang, who helped PSV attain the knockout stage in every of the final two years.

The Magpies eked into the Champions League locations final time period solely as a result of UEFA granted England’s prime flight one extra spot. Newcastle followers aren’t complaining although, although they are going to be if and when star ahead Alexander Isak leaves for Liverpool on the eve of the brand new season.

Juve bought the confirmed, constant goalscorer they’ve lengthy wanted when the “Previous Girl” inked Canadian striker Jonathan David on a free switch from Lille following the Concacaf Gold Cup. David replaces Randal Kolo Muani, who returned to PSG upon the completion of his mortgage, in supervisor Igor Tudor’s lineup.

The membership that helped develop the all-world likes of Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland lately has a brand new batch coming via — one led by midfielder Jobe Bellingham, Jude’s youthful brother. However a lot of the vets that took the Black & Yellow to the 2024 Champions League remaining stay, not least captain Emre Can, playmaker Julian Brandt and Swiss keeper Gregor Kobel.

It is onerous to consider that the 20-time English champions completed fifteenth final season, when additionally they misplaced the Europa League remaining to Premier League rivals Tottenham. However the Purple Devils added forwards Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Šeško this window, and they need to fare higher in Ruben Amorim’s first full season on the Previous Trafford helm.

Loads of massive names — suppose Mbappé, Thierry Henry and George Weah — have come via the Principality through the years. AS Monaco added a couple of extra this summer season in former France World Cup winner Paul Pogba and Barcelona loanee Ansu Fati. Each ought to assist in the Champions League, with Les Rouge et Blancs seeking to attain the spherical of 16 for the primary time since 2017.

The lack of star sights Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong (each to Liverpool) and supervisor Xabi Alonso (to Actual Madrid) hurts. Identical for Odilon Kossounou and Granit Xhaka, who additionally left this summer season. However stout defender Jarell Quansah, fellow $40 million man (and USMNT star) Malik Tillman, and new boss Eric ten Hag ought to assist maintain the membership close to the highest of the Bundesliga.

As Dutch champs the final two years, PSV has additionally pushed above its weight within the Champions League, reaching the knockout phases twice and knocking out Italian titans Juventus final season. They misplaced Tillman, Lang and others this summer season, however having USMNT pair Sergiño Dest and Ricardo Pepi again wholesome this season may very well be a coup for coach Peter Bosz.

The Champions League-bound Turkish giants made waves this summer season by signing prolific 26-year-old Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen from Napoli for $87 million on a everlasting deal, in addition to bringing in German winger Leroy Sané totally free from Bayern Munich.

The Ligue 1 runner-up to PSG final 12 months and 3 times general this decade, Marseille is chasing its first home title since 2010. The ambition is there, with L’OM dropping virtually $90 million on transfers this summer season. But two doubtlessly large contributors got here totally free: former Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and USMNT veteran Tim Weah, who beforehand received a French title with Lille in 2020-21.

Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports activities who has coated United States males’s and ladies’s nationwide groups at FIFA World Cups on 5 continents. Comply with him @ByDougMcIntyre.