The players to watch in the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League

The newly updated UEFA Champions League kicks off on the 17th of September, with some of the best players in the world lacing it up for the most historic teams.

To get in the mood for the most significant club competition in football, here are some players to watch out for, from upcoming stars to the best in the world.

Kylian Mbappe is one of the premier players in the world, who's won the World Cup with France and multiple trophies with PSG. However, the French attacker is yet to win the Champions League, and the pressure is on with reigning champions Real Madrid.

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In UEFA club competitions, Mbappe has scored 48 goals in 74 appearances, needing only two more to become one of the top 10 European Cup goalscorers ever. Can he win it with Madrid?

BBC Sport reports that England and Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham had a better first season in the Spanish capital than anyone could have imagined, scoring 23 goals as Madrid won La Liga and the Champions League.

Goals dried up for Bellingham after Christmas, but after leading England to the Euro 2024 final and having an entire season in Madrid to settle, can he hit the ground running in the competition?

Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal was the biggest talking point after winning Euro 2024 with Spain, and it seemed like a star was born at the championships in Germany.

The 17-year-old already has three goals in La Liga this season for FC Barcelona, but can he do it against the best club teams in Europe? Let's find out.

According to Transfermarkt, Bayern Munich's Michael Olise joined the German club for €53 million (£44m/$59m) in the summer. After leaving Crystal Palace, he will make his Champions League debut this season.

The winger has already scored in his first three games in the Bundesliga and debuted for France in the Nations League in early September. The Frenchman scored 14 and set up 22 in the Premier League in 82 games for Palace, but there is more pressure playing for Bayern.

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Dutch attacker Xavi Simons joined the German club RB Leipzig for a second season on loan from PSG. The 21-year-old will want to make a bigger splash after an impressive Euro 2024 campaign with the Netherlands.

While on loan at RB Leipzig last season, Simons established himself as one of the best young players in Europe, scoring 11 goals and registering 16 assists in 47 games. He has yet to prove himself in the Champions League, having scored two goals in eight games.

Sporting Lisbon and Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres is one of the most lethal strikers in Europe and is yet to play in one of the top leagues. The Sporting man has played in the second tiers in England, Sweden, and Germany, most notably for Coventry City in the Championship.

The Swedish striker has looked unstoppable for Sporting, scoring an impressive 51 goals in 56 games for the Portuguese giants. It will be his debut season in the Champions League.

After underwhelming spells with Everton, Fulham, and Leicester City in the Premier League, Atalanta's Ademola Lookman has had a new lease of life in Italy since joining in 2022.

The Englishman has scored 33 goals in two seasons in Italy and famously scored a hat trick in last season's Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen. Can he continue his dream run in Italy in the Champions League?

Have we missed any? Let us know in the comments who you think is a player to watch in the Champions League this season!

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