How to read the favourites for the next Champions League season

After the end of the FIFA World Cup, the eyes of the football world turn once again to the start of the European season. The Champions League therefore becomes the most sought-after competition for those who want to follow betting at 1xBet or to watch great matches. The next edition of the UCL promises a great deal, as it will feature many stars who stood out at the World Cup, from the protagonists who decided many games to the breakout players who gained recognition in the competition and now want to keep proving themselves at club level.

This guide looks at the Champions League favourites based on the odds available at bookmakers. Odds move with every new factor that can alter the favourites, so they are useful for reading how the market reacts to squads, transfers, managers, injuries and recent campaigns. It is worth noting that the UCL has already started and is in the first pre-qualifying round, in which teams from countries without a strong football tradition face each other in pursuit of the great dream of reaching the tournament.

Paris Saint-Germain

The odds for Paris Saint-Germain to win the title are 6.0, making the French side the heavy favourites. This comes as no surprise, as the team were champions in the last two editions and tend to get stronger given that the entire successful core has been kept, which greatly increases teamwork. Over the last two seasons, the team went through every possible situation to get stronger: comebacks, great matches, games of total dominance, games where they needed to defend, and extremely tight matches, including being crowned champions on penalties against Arsenal in 2026.

In addition to maintaining the core, PSG are also set to get even stronger. The club is signing Ivorian Yan Diomandé, one of the standout players at the World Cup, in a deal worth around 100 million euros. The team is also looking to improve the squad, such as by bringing in Lucas Digne to serve as Nuno Mendes's backup.

Arsenal

Arsenal have never won the Champions League, but the dream came closer than ever last season, when they had the best campaign in the first stage and were for a long time the favourites for the title before losing the final on penalties. The team has now also maintained the successful core that won the Premier League in 2025/2026, which helps keep them among the biggest favourites. The odds for the Gunners to win the title are 7.0.

When reading Arsenal's odds, the key point is continuity. A team that keeps its manager, its structure and its main players usually starts the new European season with fewer doubts than a club going through a rebuild.

Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich have also maintained the core that was so successful last season and the odds for the Germans to win the title are 7.0. The team came very close to eliminating PSG and reaching the final. The fact that several of the team's key players gained enormous recognition at the World Cup is a boost for the club, as these athletes will arrive for the next season full of confidence. Worth highlighting in this regard is the duo of Olise and Harry Kane, who alongside Luis Díaz form what many consider the best attack in the world. After all, in the last Bundesliga season alone, the team scored 122 goals, 36 of them from Kane alone. The Englishman is one of the strong favourites to win the Ballon d'Or in 2026.

For Bayern, the market reading is clear: attacking output, squad stability and Champions League experience keep the club near the top of the odds table.

Barcelona

After a last season in which Barcelona won La Liga but disappointed in the Champions League, the team promises to strengthen for another title challenge in 2026/2027. The club has already signed Anthony Gordon, a standout for Newcastle and the England national team, for 80 million euros. In addition, they still have important names from the current squad who give the team huge technical potential. It is therefore impossible to overlook the Spanish side's chances, and the odds for the title stand at 8.0.

In Barcelona's case, the how-to point is balance. Domestic success matters, but the Champions League also tests defensive control, squad rotation and the ability to manage knockout matches.

Manchester City

Manchester City had a season in 2025/2026 well below what they had been showing in recent years and failed to win any major title. The club will now undergo a complete overhaul, starting with the departure of Pep Guardiola after 10 seasons with the Spaniard in charge and the most successful era in the club's history. To replace him, City have brought in another Spaniard, Enzo Maresca, the manager who won the FIFA Club World Cup with Chelsea in 2025. In addition, the club invested heavily in reinforcements, paying 130 million for the midfielder Elliot Anderson. The team may also invest around 100 million euros in Moroccan defensive midfielder Bouaddi, one of the biggest individual standouts at the 2026 World Cup.

City's odds must be read differently from PSG, Arsenal or Bayern. The squad is still powerful, but a managerial change of this size always adds uncertainty. That is why transfers alone do not explain the market; the new tactical project matters just as much.

Real Madrid

Among all the title favourites, Real Madrid have undergone the biggest overhaul for the 2026/2027 season. After a deeply disappointing last season with problems that went far beyond the pitch. To deal with the squad issues, the club brought in José Mourinho to take charge of the team. The Portuguese manager had been without a club of this level for a long time. President Florentino Pérez promised to invest heavily upon being re-elected, with a blockbuster signing. The big star has yet to arrive, but Real Madrid have already announced some very important additions who could completely transform the team's standing. They are:

• Marc Cucurella, arriving from Chelsea for 55 million euros.

• Denzel Dumfries, arriving from Internazionale for 20 million euros.

• Bernardo Silva, arriving without a contract after a successful journey at Manchester City.

• Ibrahima Konaté, arriving after the end of his contract with Liverpool.

The overhaul also involves the return of Brazilian Endrick after a loan to Lyon, and important departures such as those of David Alaba and Carvajal. However, the club is the all-time most successful in Champions League history and often manages big European victories, always entering as one of the favourites. The odds for the title can be found on various platforms after a registration by phone number and are approximately 10.0.

For Real Madrid, the useful reading is not only the list of signings. It is also necessary to ask how quickly the new pieces can fit, whether the dressing room settles and how Mourinho's style adapts to the squad.

Internazionale

From Internazionale Milan onwards, teams that are even further from the main favourites begin to appear. The Italian club has tradition in the competition, but did not strengthen at all a squad that had its ups and downs last season, winning the Italian Serie A comfortably but being eliminated by Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt in the Champions League. The odds for the title are 30.0.

In this case, the main point is squad movement. A club can dominate domestically and still lose ground in Europe if direct rivals improve more during the transfer window.

Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid are another team that can never be overlooked among the favourites, as they frequently reach the later stages of the competition. In 2026, the team made it to the semi-finals. After all, Simeone knows everything about his players and has a very particular defensive style that defines this era of the Atleti side, which the Argentine has been managing for more than 15 years. For the next season, the club has already completed the signings of midfielder Hjulmand from Sporting Lisbon and Alejandro Grimaldo from Bayer Leverkusen. The odds for the Spanish side to win the title are 35.0.

Atletico's price reflects a familiar formula: defensive identity, knockout experience and a coach who knows exactly how he wants his team to suffer, resist and compete.

Napoli

Rounding off the list of teams with odds of 35.0 to win the title is Napoli. The Italians have had a run of consistent seasons, always challenging for the Italian title, and have established themselves as one of the country's two biggest forces alongside Internazionale. There have been few transfer market moves for the next season so far. However, the team has good potential for improvement.

For Napoli, the key point is whether domestic consistency can turn into a deeper Champions League run. The odds are not among the shortest, but they keep the club in the group of teams that cannot be ignored.

Summary of odds for the UEFA Champions League title

Now that you have seen an overview of the teams most fancied to win the UEFA Champions League in 2026/2027, see a table summarising the odds: