The key questions in Europe's top leagues ahead of the 2025–26 season
Football never really went away over the summer, but it's well and truly back!
The Club World Cup only concluded on 13 July in the United States, but Europe's major domestic competitions are already preparing to get under way again.
Author | Jamie P
The Dutch Eredivisie kicks off on 8 August, with the Premier League returning a week later. By the end of the month, the Portuguese Primeira Liga, Spain’s La Liga, France’s Ligue 1, Germany’s Bundesliga and Italy’s Serie A will all be back in full swing.
Here is a look at some of the key talking points ahead of the new season from across the different leagues
Eredivisie
PSV are tipped to lead the way after bolstering an already strong squad with the signing of Ruben van Bommel, son of former international Mark. They looked confident in a recent pre-season win over Athletic Bilbao.
Ajax will also attract plenty of attention under new head coach John Heitinga. The former Liverpool assistant has brought goalkeeper Vítězslav Jaroš with him, but may look to add more experience following the departure of Jordan Henderson.
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Premier League
Can Liverpool retain their crown and become the first club to win 21 English league titles? Will Manchester United’s new signings adapt quickly and steer them back into European competition following a successful pre season? How will Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest cope with the added pressures of European football?
How about Chelsea? They've made more changes to their squad this summer. Can they build on their success in the Conference League and Club World Cup.
Lower down in the table, Sunderland have made some impressive signings on their return to the top flight. Will they be able to avoid relegation.
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| Picture Source | GM Super News |
Bundesliga
Bayern Munich go into the season as strong favourites once more. Although they have struggled to add firepower during the summer window, their squad still looks robust, even with Jamal Musiala set to miss the opening months.
Borussia Dortmund look the most likely challengers. Jobe Bellingham, younger brother of Jude, could take on a central role in midfield. The former Sunderland player has the potential to be the Bundesliga’s breakout star.
Ligue 1
Paris Saint-Germain are expected to dominate once again, although the European champions could face stiffer competition on the domestic front this season. The return of a top-flight Paris derby for the first time since the 1980s adds an intriguing subplot.
With Lyon and Lille both weakened by summer departures, Strasbourg and Lens could emerge as surprise contenders for Champions League qualification.
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Serie A
The Italian title race is shaping up to be a head-to-head contest between Napoli and Inter.
Napoli, the reigning champions, have strengthened their squad with Kevin De Bruyne, Noa Lang, Lorenzo Lucca, Sam Beukema and goalkeeper Vanja Milinković-Savić. Perhaps the most important development, however, is that Antonio Conte remains in the dugout. Balancing domestic and European ambitions will be a challenge, but Napoli look well equipped to compete on both fronts.
Inter remain a powerful force in their own right. Hakan Çalhanoğlu is staying put and Ademola Lookman could join him, with the Nigeria forward seen as a potentially valuable addition.
Primeira Liga
Sporting will be hoping to defend their title after back-to-back league triumphs, but the sale of Viktor Gyökeres leaves a big gap to fill. His physical presence and goal-scoring instincts were key to their success, and the current squad may not be well suited to Rui Borges’ preferred 4-2-3-1 system.
Benfica endured a lacklustre pre-season and urgently need a midfielder capable of bringing flair and imagination to their attacking play. Despite the disappointment of last season, it is FC Porto who appear to have the clearest plan heading into the new campaign.
La Liga
It is difficult to look beyond Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid in the Spanish title race. One of the three has lifted the trophy in each of the last 21 seasons, with Barcelona claiming 12 of those titles, Real Madrid seven and Atlético two.
Real start the season as slight favourites after a summer focused on rebuilding their defence. Trent Alexander-Arnold joins from Liverpool, Dean Huijsen arrives from Bournemouth and Álvaro Carreras signs from Benfica.
The most eye-catching addition may be new manager Xabi Alonso, who returns to the Bernabéu after leading Bayer Leverkusen to an historic title in Germany. He will be tasked with restoring Madrid to domestic glory, and with the squad now looking more balanced, they may well have the edge over the defending champions.
