AfriPulse
The 2025/2026 UEFA Champions League is well and truly underway, and it’s already delivering blockbusters for fixtures. Holders, PSG, look set to go all the way again, no matter what it takes, while record winners, Real Madrid and other big teams, will feel they have the firepower to give the French giants a good run for their money.
With Europe’s finest all looking to outrank each other and book a place in the latter stage of the tournament that matters most, one thing is for sure: nobody knows who’d be left holding the prestigious trophy come May 2026.
While teams battle it out to reach the final stage, experts and analysts continue to assess the chances of clubs and individual players. One of the most detailed sources of such assessments is the expert website MightyTips, which publishes professional match reviews, predictions, and analytics on football tournaments.
In addition, expert Kate Richardson highlighted the players who are already shaping the course of the current Champions League campaign and could become key figures on the road to the final.
Players of The Champions league Season The UCL player of the season is the highly coveted award given to the ultimate performer with corresponding stats in the competition. It rewards individuals who have been exceptional throughout the year and helped their team go far. Previous winners include;
Ousmane Dembele Vinicius Jr Rodri Luka Modric Karim Benzema Erling Haaland On 2024/2025 winner, Ousmane Dembele, UEFA.com stated, “As well as scoring eight times, Dembélé has taken on the role of a leader in the Paris Saint-Germain team”.
This year, new names will be looking to drive their teams to glory and get their names on the board. That said, here are the exceptional players already leaving their marks on the event this year.
Micky van de Ven The Tottenham centre back is redefining the role of a center back this time out, and it’s no wonder he’s already being recognised as one of the most outstanding in the tournament. The electric-paced Dutch defender is not just putting on last-ditch tackles but also using his pace to cover dangerous areas, earning his team a 3rd clean sheet in 4 games.
But beyond that, he’s also picked up a knack for scoring crucial goals like his wonder strike against Copenhagen in matchday 4. Having also scored in the Super Cup, Micky now found the net three times in UEFA competitions so far, and is clearly the poster man for everything Spurs is doing right in the UCL.
Virgil van Dijk Van Dijk is another defender turning up the heat in the UCL in 2025, as he’s done in previous times before. Like his Dutch counterpart, the Liverpool skipper is driving his team forward from defense with one outstanding game after another. In addition to securing a clean sheet against the high-flying Real Madrid, Van Dijk has also scored twice against Atletico Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt to earn his place as a top performer among Europe’s elite.
Virgil van Dijk Dominik Szoboszlai Along with his captain, Szoboszlai is another Red leaving his mark in the UCL. The Hungarian midfielder has barely put a foot wrong in the UCL and is also making a habit of coming up clutch when his team needs him the most. His 1 goal and 3 assists speak volumes about his performances, but they certainly do not tell the whole story of the tireless workhorse that he is.
In one of his interviews, the midfielder stated that “I can score more and do more assists. But I am doing a dirty job for the team, and that is most important for me,” and that captures his role in the middle of the park more.
Hans Vanaken The 33-year-old is aging like fine wine, and his team, Club Brugge, could not have been more grateful for his impact in the UCL so far. Two attacking returns in the 4-1 humiliation of Monaco, and an assist in that breathtaking draw against Barcelona have been his high points so far. But he’s also tracking back to dictate play, create chances, and put in a real captain’s performance week after week.
Despite falling short to a rampant Bayern team, Brugge is on a surge for qualifying places, and Vanaken is at the center of it all.
Alejandro Grimaldo The Spanish dead-ball specialist has been on fire form for German giants, Leverkusen, all season, registering 10 attacking returns already in all matches, and from wing back, no less. His perfectly placed free kick helped secure a point against Copenhagen in Denmark, while he also managed an assist in that chaotic encounter against PSG. Overall, Grimaldo has been exceptional for an otherwise struggling team, earning his spot as a top pick.
Vitinha Vitinha PSG have been rampant in their bid to defend their maiden UCL title, and Vitinha has been at the heart and soul of it all. In the prolonged absence of Balon d’Or winner Dembele, Vitinha, who finished 3rd on the rankings, has taken up the mantle of star and is driving his team to glory.
The midfielder boasts a 95% pass completion rate and is often the key to whatever the French club looks to build. His eye for getting in on the action has also been evident with his attacking returns, including goals and assists.
Daniel Svensson Swedish midfielder Daniel Svensson is another one enjoying the bright lights of the UCL. The 23-year-old is being deployed as a left wing-back for Dortmund, and has performed excellently. His reading of the game has been up there, and he somehow manages to get his positioning right every time. He’s also a handful in attack, and already has an attacking output to his name in what has been an outstanding UCL outing so far.
Victor Osimhen Talk about strikers ripping it up in Europe, and the Nigerian talisman is the first name that comes to mind. Victor Osimhen is the mask behind Galatasaray’s resurgence in the UCL, and it’s so easy to see why the only game the Turkish outfit has lost is the competition opener in which the striker was absent due to injury.
Since then, he has netted against Liverpool, scored a brace against Bodo/Glimt, and took home the matchball in that spectacular performance against Ajax in the Netherlands. It’s now three wins on the bounce for Gala, and Osimhen sits comfortably at the summit of the highest scorer’s list with 6.
Conclusion This 2025/2026 UCL may still only be 4 games in, but it’s already ripe with big moments and elite stars taking the competition by the scruff of its neck. These superstars are making their presence felt already, and with the knockout stages still ahead, the best is definitely yet to come.
Article was written by Kate Richardson Published by Notjustok
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