The 2025-26 Champions League season will be back in 2026 after six matchdays of the league phase took place from September to December 2025, but the top European leagues aren’t going on break in the meanwhile. Arsenal and Manchester City are ready to fight for another Premier League title while Bayern Munich are once again dominating the Bundesliga standings. Elsewhere, Juventus are getting back at the top of the Serie A standings while Real Madrid finally had a positive week after some struggles. Let’s take a look our Power Rankings, and as an added bonus, hand out New Year’s resolutions for each team.
1. Arsenal (–)
New Year’s resolution: Lift a trophy, possibly the Premier League more than 20 years after the last time.
After how they started the 2025-26 season, 2026 has to be the year when they will finally lift a trophy. Their last Premier League title came in 2004, and they are currently leading the standings, even though the gap to their rivals is now quite narrow. There are no more excuses: Arsenal have to win in 2026.
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2. Bayern Munich (–)
New Year’s resolution: Score less than three goals every single game, if possible.
Do you remember one game this season when you saw Bayern Munich scoring less than three goals? I don’t to be honest. I’d like to see them winning 1-0 at least once this season but I’m probably asking too much from Vincent Kompany’s side. 55 goals scored in 15 games played so far in the German Bundesliga: 3.6 per game. I wasn’t joking.
3. Manchester City (–)
New Year’s resolution: Convince Pep Guardiola to stay at the club beyond the summer.
Manchester City are starting the new year with increasing doubts about the future of Pep Guardiola. The Spanish coached mentioned a few times that his contract expiring in 2027 doesn’t really guarantee he will stay until then and there are multiple rumors about him leaving the Premier League in the summer. The English giants need to convince him to stay at least for another season. They need him, we all need him.
4. Barcelona (–)
New Year’s resolution: Sign Marcus Rashford on a permanent deal, he’s worth it.
The English striker had a big impact on the success of the team coached by Hansi Flick so far this season and no matter what transfer business Barcelona do in the summer, they need to sign him permanently from Manchester United. He has shown to be a player who can play in this team and considering Robert Lewandowski’s likely departure from the club they have to confirm him in that role.
5. PSG (–)
New Year’s resolution: Go back to January 2025.
I mean, 2025 was absolutely magical for them and Luis Enrique. They won it all and their wish is probably to go back to one year ago when they were about to win the Treble and most notably the 2025 Champions League final against Inter. Can they do it again this season? It seems more difficult but I wouldn’t rule it out.
6. Atletico Madrid (–)
New Year’s resolution: Reach the last four of the Champions League
Diego Simeone’s side are doing quiet well this season but their ambition is to do better in the European tournament and possibly ending up in the top four of the Champions League. It’s been a while since they’ve done it and this might be a big year for them.
7. Inter (–)
New Year’s resolution: Zero trophies in 2025? At least one in 2026.
If 2025 was an unforgettable year for PSG, 2025 was a disaster for the Nerazzurri at least until May. Losing the Serie A title on the last matchday of the season to Napoli, the 5-0 Champions League final lost to PSG and a managerial change with Simone Inzaghi leaving only a few days after the Munich final. Under Cristian Chivu it all seems much better but winning a trophy in 2026 would radically change their status after such disappointments.
8. Chelsea (–)
New Year’s resolution: Make Enzo Maresca happy again at the club.
The last few weeks were a bit difficult for both Chelsea and Enzo Maresca. It looks like something is breaking between the club and the manager but this is not what Chelsea need right now. Maresca is doing really well and needs to continue working together with this team in the next months. Will they fix it?
9. Real Madrid (–)
New Year’s resolution: Commit to their coach. They were excited about Xabi Alonso few months ago.
After partying ways with Carlo Ancelotti at the end of the past season, Real Madrid started a new cycle with former midfielder Xabi Alonso. His start at the club wasn’t what they hoped so far, but they should back their manager because he’s one of the best around Europe. Ancelotti was great but that’s the past, Xabi Alonso is the future.
10. Atalanta (–)
New Year’s resolution: Get over the fact Gian Piero Gasperini left.
It took some time, as expected, for them to process the farewell of Gian Piero Gasperini, the manager who brought Atalanta to the elite of European soccer. Since he left to join AS Roma in the summer, Atalanta hired Ivan Juric but then sacked him few weeks ago and appointed Raffaele Palladino, who started well and might have Atalanta heading back in the right direction. It might take some time but this is the right path for their future.
11. Liverpool (–)
New Year’s resolution: Make the summer signings perform as hoped.
The 2025 summer signings haven’t perform as they hoped so far, especially the ones of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen and Alexander Isak from Newcastle, even before his injury. If Arne Slot will be able to make them perform at their level in the second part of the season Liverpool still have chances to win trophies in 2026.
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12. Olympique Marseille (–)
New Year’s resolution: Winning Ligue 1 seems impossible, but they actually can.
If there is one team that can beat PSG in the long term this season, that’s Olympique Marseille. Roberto De Zerbi’s team are five points behind Lens and four behind PSG but they still have a shot. Winning Ligue 1 would be something historic.
13. Newcastle (–)
New Year’s resolution: Forget about the last months of 2025.
Despite the great impact of some new players like Nick Woltemade, who has scored nine goals so far in all competitions, their season doesn’t really excite us. The first months of the 2025-26 season were not what we hoped for them but there are more games to come to turn things around.
14. Borussia Dortmund (–)
New Year’s resolution: Play another European final.
Borussia Dortmund played the 2024 Champions League final and lost to Real Madrid. It’s almost impossible to see them again play the final but, then again, it was almost impossible to see them playing in the 2024 final five months before it happened, so why not dream?
15. Galatasaray (–)
New Year’s resolution: Becoming the first Turkish team to win the Champions League.
After what they have done in the summer there are many expectations on their performances especially in the Champions League. Having a player like Victor Osimhen can make the difference in the knockout stages of the European tournament.
16. Juventus (–)
New Year’s resolution: Don’t sack the manager and trust Luciano Spalletti. He’s the right man.
After sacking two coaches in 2025 Juventus finally found, in Luciano Spalletti, the right coach to lead this team. He’s already showing his importance in both domestic and European leagues. They just have to not sack him or replace him after this season and commit to his work and management.
17. Napoli (–)
New Year’s resolution: Hope for Antonio Conte to stay more than two years at the club.
We all know Antonio Conte and we all know what is going to happen at the end of this season when he will hint of a possible exit after two years at Napoli. It already happened last year before Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis convinced him to stay and refused to rejoin Juventus. They have to do it again.
18. Bayer Leverkusen (–)
New Year’s resolution: Don’t sell more players to Liverpool.
After selling both Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong to Liverpool, they should probably avoid allowing other players to join the English club, especially given that both performed better at Leverkusen and may now regret that decision.
19. Sporting CP (–)
New Year’s resolution: Win one trophy and don’t sell their strikers to a Premier League club.
The Portuguese team are challenging Porto at the top of the domestic league and hoping to land in the playoffs of the Champions League. The next two games against PSG and Athletic Club will tell us more about their European expectations, after losing to Bayern Munich in the last Champions League match of 2025, but they have a chance to win at least one trophy in 2026.
20. Tottenham (–)
New Year’s resolution: Just win some games.
I mean, what can we say more about Tottenham? They won the 2025 Europa League title, that’s true, but we hoped Thomas Frank could bring some stability at the club and he hasn’t so far.
21. PSV (–)
New Year’s resolution: Make Ivan Perisic sign a new deal.
If there is one player of this team that makes me happy that’s Ivan Perisic. His career seemed over two years ago, and it certainly wasn’t. Let him sign a new contract! He deserves it.
22. AS Monaco (–)
New Year’s resolution: Find a coach who can bring the club back at the top.
Another challenging season for AS Monaco. The good old days seem really far away but maybe with the right manager this team can still be back at the top.
23. Benfica (–)
New Year’s resolution: End up in the Champions League playoffs.
Jose Mourinho’s appointment was the highlight of 2025 but there is more to come next year. Qualifying for the Champions League playoffs would definitely be a big step for their new project with the Special One.
24. Club Brugge (–)
New Year’s resolution: Don’t sell players to AC Milan.
Can they survive one year without selling a player to AC Milan? Well, their striker Nicolò Tresoldi was at San Siro over the weekend watching AC Milan playing against Hellas Verona.
25. Copenaghen (–)
New Year’s resolution: Get in the top 24 of the league phase.
I didn’t think they could make it for the playoffs but now they have a chance after winning the last away match against Villarreal.
26. Qarabag (–)
New Year’s resolution: Win another Champions League match.
They were the surprise of the league phase in the first matches of the season but then that was it. Winning another match would mean a lot to them.
27. Eintracht Frankfurt (–)
New Year’s resolution: Concede fewer goals
They have conceded 30 goals in 15 Bundesliga matches. With a record like that, what can they realistically hope for?28. Union Saint-Gilloise (–)
28. Union Saint-Gilloise (–)
New Year’s resolution: Another Champions League campaign.
They are at the top of the Pro League table with a one-point margin on Club Brugge, but the latest home defeat against Olympique Marseille in the Champions League wasn’t what they needed to have some qualification hope. They can make it again next year.
29. Athletic Club (–)
New Year’s resolution: Don’t sell Nico Williams in the summer.
They didn’t sell Nico Williams in 2024. They didn’t sell Nico Williams in 2025 after agreeing on a new deal. Can they do it again in 2026?
30. Villarreal (–)
New Year’s resolution: Perform better in Europe.
Despite the home defeat against Barcelona they are still the biggest surprise in LaLiga, sitting fourth behind Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, but a disaster in the Champions League where they have no real chance to qualify for the playoffs with zero wins in six matches. They can do better in the last two games of the league phase.
31. Pafos (–)
New Year’s resolution: Let them dream once again.
They are living a dream by playing in the Champions League for the first time. Let them dream again.
32. Slavia Prague (–)
New Year’s resolution: Do better in their last two European games.
They probably deserve to do something more in the remaining two matches of the league phase, if they can.
33. Olympiacos (–)
New Year’s resolution: Win the Greek league and be back stronger next season in Europe.
Nothing really happened for them in the Champions League this year. Win the Greek league and be back stronger next season.
34. Bodo/Glimt (–)
New Year’s resolution: Warmer atmosphere in their home stadium? Probably asking too much here.
I thought they could do better in Europe this season, especially considering the temperatures at their home games.
35. Ajax (–)
New Year’s resolution: Forget about 2025.
What can we say here? The biggest disappointment of the year.
36. Kairat (–)
New Year’s resolution: Enjoy the ride, because it’s almost over.
We all still love them and hope to see them back on the Champions League stage.
