The Champions League is back tonight with the finest sides on the continent battling it out to become Champions of Europe.
The likes of Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal and Erling Haaland are expected to take centre stage once again in what promises to be another dramatic season of European football.
But there are a whole host of less familiar players who will be hoping to make a name for themselves in Europe’s premier club competition this term.
Metro takes a look at 10 players to keep a close eye on in the Champions League this season, from Real Madrid’s £120m signing to Barcelona’s new wonderkid.
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1. Nico Paz (Como)
Como are making their Champions League debut this season and boast one of the most sought-after young players in the world in Paz.
The 22-year-old attacking midfielder, who was born in Spain but plays for Argentina, was named as the best midfielder in Serie A last season and will look to continue that form on the European stage this campaign.
But while the Italian side will be playing in the Champions League for the first time, Paz will not be, having made three appearances for Real Madrid in the group stage of the 2023/24 edition.
2. Mika Godts (PSG)
Godts enjoyed an incredible breakout season at Ajax last year with over 30 goals and assists notched up for the Dutch giants, which convinced PSG to part with almost £50m for his services this summer.
Godts is yet to start a game for PSG this season but the 21-year-old will surely be given enough game time in the competition by Luis Enrique to showcase his immense talent to Champions League audiences.
Despite his stellar season at Ajax, Godts was remarkably left out of the Belgium squad for the World Cup by the now-departed Rudi Garcia.
3. Konstantinos Karetsas (Borussia Dortmund)
Very few clubs have an eye for young talent as much as Dortmund, who snapped up Karetsas from Genk last month for just shy of £30m.
The attacking midfielder has started both of Dortmund’s Bundesliga games this season and even scored for the German side in their 3-2 victory over Arsenal in pre-season.
Karetsas, 18, is the poster boy for a golden generation of Greek football, who have silently produced one of the most promising groups of players in international football.
4. Pio Esposito (Inter)
Esposito has emerged as one of the most rounded young strikers in Europe over the past 12 months.
The Italian star scored a modest ten goals for the Nerazzurri last season, but it is his all-round performances which have produced such a hype around the 21-year-old.
The likes of Arsenal and Manchester United have been credited with an interest in Esposito, who has recently signed a new six-year deal with the Serie A champions.
5. Yan Diomande (Real Madrid)
The major heavyweights of European football were all circling around Diomande this summer, and it was Real Madrid who emerged victorious with a club-record £120m deal to secure his signature from Leipzig in August.
The move to the Bernabeu marks a meteoric rise for the winger, who only joined Leipzig from Leganes last year.
The 19-year-old has struggled for game time under Jose Mourinho in the early stages of the campaign, but there is little doubting the talent that the Ivorian possesses.
6. Oskar Pietuszewski (Porto)
Porto would have had high hopes when they signed Pietuszewski from Jagiellonia Bialystok for just £9m back in January, but they surely couldn’t have imagined quite the impact he would go on to make.
The Polish star almost instantly cemented his place in the starting XI with a string of age-defying displays on the wing.
Pietuszewski, 18, has subsequently been linked with the likes Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool and it’s only a matter of time until the Pole gets picked up by one of the continent’s elite.
7. Noah Fernandez (PSV)
Fernandez made his first-team debut last season and went on to feature in a handful of games for PSV – the majority of them coming towards the end of the campaign.
But the start of this season has seen Fernandez establish himself as first-choice in midfield despite being just 18.
A strong showing in the Champions League over the next few months could see the Belgian wonderkid become the next big sale from the Eredivisie.
8. Ismael Saibari (Bayern Munich)
Saibari had already cemented himself as one of the best players in the Dutch league with PSV over the past couple of seasons, but it was his performances in the World Cup which really saw the Moroccan make a name for himself.
His three goals for the Atlas Lions in North America this summer was enough to earn him a £45m move to Bayern in July.
The 25-year-old marked his Bundesliga debut with two assists against Stuttgart despite not even being on the pitch for half an hour, and he looks set to boost Bayern’s already enviable collection of attacking talent.
9. Xavi Espart (Barcelona)
It feels like Barcelona introduce a new wonderkid to the world every year, and this time it’s the turn of Espart to emerge as the next gem from their fabled La Masia academy.
The 19-year-old has played every minute for Barcelona at left back this season and has not looked out of place amongst the club’s superstars.
What’s even more impressive is the fact that Espart is a midfielder by trade – and not to mention the fact he’s right-footed – in what is an extraordinary display of versatility.
10. Rodrigo Mora (Roma)
Mora burst onto the scene at Porto when he was just 17 and went on to score 12 goals in a staggering 2024/25 season with the Portuguese club.
An underwhelming second year followed, however, with Mora managing just one goal in the league in 2025/26.
Roma overlooked the struggles of last season when they bought Mora for £21m in the summer, and they will be hoping the now-19-year-old can rediscover the form which made him one of the best young players in the world just a couple of years ago.
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