Paris Saint‑Germain has set its sights on a record‑setting third consecutive Champions League crown as the 2025‑26 campaign kicks off. The French club secured back‑to‑back titles last season, edging Arsenal on penalties in Budapest to claim a trophy they had won for the first time the year before. Luis Enrique, who guided PSG to the 2025 final, has already cemented the club as one of the competition’s most successful teams, a distinction that only Real Madrid has matched since the modern era began in 1992.

The Champions League’s revamped format, which takes effect this season, expands the league phase to 36 teams, each playing eight matches against eight different opponents. PSG’s previous two campaigns saw the club finish outside the top eight in the group stage and rely on a play‑off round to reach the last 16. In the 2026 group stage, the French giants will once again encounter familiar names – Manchester City, Barcelona and Aston Villa – a set of matchups that will probe the squad’s depth and consistency.

Financially, the Champions League remains a lucrative proposition. Winners receive a performance‑based prize of roughly 90 million euros, and television revenue can push total earnings well above that figure. According to reports, PSG earned about 150 million euros for each of their last two victories, a figure that reflects the high value of the competition’s broadcast rights.

Other clubs that will be in the league phase include Arsenal, who topped the previous season’s group stage with a perfect record and will face Napoli in their opening away fixture. Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta, has guided the club to the quarter‑finals, semi‑finals and final in the last three seasons, and the next step for the Gunners is to secure a title.

The competition also features five English clubs: Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Arsenal. Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona are also in the mix, with Real’s new manager, Jose Mourinho, tasked with returning the club to continental glory. Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid are additional contenders, the latter hoping to reach a final held in their home stadium.

The 2026 season will also welcome debutants from outside the traditional “big five” European leagues. Como, who finished fourth in Serie A last season, qualified for the Champions League at the expense of AC Milan and Juventus. Viking Stavanger entered the competition for the first time after winning Norway’s top division for the first time in 34 years. Sabah, the champions of Azerbaijan, began the league phase with a trip to Old Trafford after progressing through four qualifying ties.

The inclusion of clubs such as Como, Viking Stavanger and Sabah adds fresh narratives to the tournament. For smaller clubs, participation alone can bring significant financial benefits; the league phase alone can bring a minimum of 20 million euros (about 23.2 million US dollars) to a club’s coffers.

In summary, the 2025‑26 Champions League season opens with PSG looking to secure a historic third title, while Arsenal seeks to convert a strong group performance into silverware. The new format will test the depth of the 36 clubs that have qualified, and the financial rewards remain substantial. As the league phase begins, fans will watch to see whether PSG can repeat their success, whether Arsenal can finally lift the trophy, and how the debutants will perform against Europe’s elite.

The competition will continue through the summer, with knockout rounds scheduled to culminate in a final in late May or early June. The outcome will determine not only the champion but also the club that will qualify for the next season’s Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, the FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.