Champions League 2026-27 power rankings: Can Barcelona, Bayern Munich or Arsenal prevent PSG from securing a historic three-peat?
This season’s power rankings are going to look a little different; rather than ranking every team from 1-36, we will instead be mimicking the competition’s league phase by ranking the top 24 contenders, with the other 12 teams left on the outside looking in.
That’s not to say that none of these 12 teams will make it through – there is always a shock name or two in the knockout rounds – but this dozen are, in our view, the least likely teams to progress and continue their European journey past the opening round.
Amongst them are tournament debutants Sabah FK of Azerbaijan and LASK of Austria, as well as Slovan Bratislava, who are managed by the first African coach in the history of the Champions League, the one and only Yaya Toure.
Bodo/Glimt, who beat Manchester City, Atletico Madrid and Inter on their way to last season’s last 16, will do well to make a repeat run, though they are no longer the only Norwegian side in the competition, with Viking FK having qualified for the first time since 1992.
There are teams from Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues who also look like having tough European seasons, as both Villarreal and Lens do not look capable of forcing their way through.
GOAL’s doomed dozen: AEK Athens, Bodo/Glimt, Club Brugge, Feyenoord, LASK, Lens, Sabah, Shakhtar Donetsk, Slavia Prague, Slovan Bratislava, Viking, Villarreal.
