The league phase of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League (UCL) is set to begin on Tuesday, along with the competition’s official Fantasy game.
In this article, we look at the best €7.5m+ UCL Fantasy midfielders competing for a place in managers’ opening squads.
- READ MORE: UCL Fantasy 2025/26: Plan transfers + chip strategy with our Fixture Ticker
- READ MORE: UCL Fantasy 2025/26: Get StatsBomb player data today!
RAPHINHA (€9.5m)
Raphinha scored 13 goals and provided nine assists in 14 Champions League appearances last season, leading Barcelona to the semi-finals.
It earned the Brazilian set-piece taker 137 points, by far the most of any player.
He was also top for expected goals (xG) and assists:
His attacking partner, Lamine Yamal (€10.0m), is also worthy of consideration, although the winger is currently a doubt for the match against Newcastle United on Thursday.
The Spaniard contributed five goals and three assists in 13 UCL matches in 2024/25, and he also received the accolade for Goal of the Season, thanks to his remarkable strike against Inter Milan in the semi-finals.
Yamal already has two goals and three assists across three La Liga matches this term, but he was ruled out of Sunday’s league game against Valencia, so his fitness will need to be monitored.
“Lamine will not be available [against Valencia] – it’s a pity. He played with the national team despite pain. He had problems, played 79 and 73 minutes, and didn’t even train between matches because of this pain. That is not really taking care of the players, is it? It is not.” – Hansi Flick on Lamine Yamal
Despite facing Newcastle and Paris Saint-Germain first, Barca’s subsequent fixtures are very appealing, with clashes against Olympiacos, Club Brugge, Eintracht Frankfurt, Slavia Prague and FC Copenhagen.
MOHAMED SALAH (€10.5m)/FLORIAN WIRTZ (€9.0m)
Mohamed Salah is the most expensive midfielder in UCL Fantasy this season.
The Egyptian had the best season of all time in 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League (FPL), with his total of 344 points over 100 more than any other player.
He also banked three goals and four assists in nine UCL appearances, receiving the player of the match award on two separate occasions.
Florian Wirtz, meanwhile, has had a slow start to life at Anfield.
Still, the German schemer boasts UCL pedigree, having scored six goals and provided one assist across nine European appearances for Bayer Leverkusen last term. He’s struggled to adapt to the pace of the Premier League so far, but it could be a different story in this competition.
Liverpool face Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid in Matchdays 1 and 4 respectively, but the fixtures around it look much nicer, including Galatasaray, Eintracht Frankfurt, PSV Eindhoven, Marseille and Qarabag.
VINICIUS JUNIOR (€9.5m)
Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior is now classified as a midfielder rather than a forward, with extra points on offer for goals and clean sheets.
It makes him a hugely appealing asset, particularly with Marseille and Kairat Almaty up first.
Ranked first for crosses in 2024/25 UCL, as well as joint-sixth for non-penalty shots, Vinicius is still a relative differential in the game, with only 14% ownership at the time of writing, level with Salah:
Vinicius could be a nice Tuesday captaincy option in Matchday 1, when Real Madrid are at home to Marseille.
MICHAEL OLISE (€8.0m)
Michael Olise’s first season with Bayern Munich was a major success.
The Frenchman became a mainstay in Vincent Kompany’s first XI, contributing five goals and one assist in 14 UCL outings.
His red-hot form has continued into the current campaign, too, with three goals against RB Leipzig and FC Augsburg in his first two Bundesliga matches.
He also found the net in the DFB Pokal.
Bayern Munich have a mixed bag of fixtures in the UCL, but do face Pafos and Club Brugge in the first three Matchdays, boosting the early appeal of their assets.
BRADLEY BARCOLA (€7.5m)
There are a few options at Paris Saint-Germain to consider, including central midfielders Vitinha (€7.0m) and Joao Neves (€6.0m), who we’ll cover in the second part of this feature.
Further forward, Desire Doue (€8.0m) picked up a calf injury while on international duty. He’ll be out for around one month. Ousmane Dembele (€10.0m) has been ruled out for six weeks, too.
Additionally, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (€8.0m) is a doubt for the upcoming match against Atalanta, as he limped off against Lens on Sunday.
It could present an opportunity for Bradley Barcola.
The Frenchman ranked among the top 15 UCL players for xG and xG assisted per 90 minutes last season (see below). Nobody racked up more penalty box touches either.
As for Kvaratskhelia, he produced three goals and two assists in nine UCL appearances last time around, all in the knockout phase after his January arrival from Napoli, but his fitness will need to be monitored ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.
The fixtures aren’t easy for PSG, however, with matches against Atalanta, Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich up first.
OTHERS
Bukayo Saka (€9.5m) sustained a hamstring injury last month and is expected to miss Matchday 1. Nevertheless, he is a player to keep in mind, with Arsenal having arguably the easiest UCL fixture schedule of any team. His teammate Eberechi Eze (€7.5m) presents an alternative choice within Mikel Arteta’s setup.
Cole Palmer (€9.5m) scored on his Chelsea return against Brentford on Saturday. In just 34 minutes of football, the England international had more shots (five) than anyone else on the pitch. His first UCL match is against Bayern Munich, but Palmer previously scored twice and provided an assist against European champions PSG during the Club World Cup, indicating he could still perform well. That said, with Munich to come on Wednesday and Manchester United to follow less than 72 hours later, it’ll be interesting to see how Enzo Maresca handles his minutes.
Kevin De Bruyne (€8.0m) has already netted two goals for Napoli in Serie A this season, including a well-placed free-kick against Sassuolo. He also scored a penalty. He will face his former club Manchester City in Matchday 1, but more favourable matches against Sporting CP and PSV Eindhoven follow.
Phil Foden (€8.0m) returned to City’s starting XI on Sunday, as he nodded in Jeremy Doku‘s (€7.0m) cut-back. Playing in a central role, the midfielder impressed, although there are no guarantees he will start again at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday, given his recent fitness issues.
Neco Williams (€8.0m) is another potential option, but it is worth noting that Athletic Club have one of the toughest UCL schedules, with Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund up first. He is also facing a race against time to be fit, having missed Bilbao’s defeat to Deportivo Alaves on Saturday with a hip injury.
