A new season of the Women’s Champions League begins next week with the start of the league phase, and the best players in Europe will once again showcase their brilliance as they look to lead their teams to continental glory.

Here are five players to watch in the new UWCL season.

The three-time Ballon d’Or winner and Barcelona superstar missed almost all of last season with a broken ankle and has made it her goal to return to her best form and lead Barça to a fifth Champions League title.

Barça went through a lot of change this summer and lost club icon Alexia Putellas, who was one of the key pieces in last season’s UWCL run and helped make up for Aitana’s absence. Now it’s time for Bonmatí to restore her status as the world’s best player, plus she will be hungry to show her best version in Europe.

When fully healthy, there is no more complete midfielder in the game than Aitana. She can win duels, make key passes, score goals and has a special flair that makes her truly must-see TV.

Even though Aitana is the superstar and the team’s best player, there is a serious case to be made for Pina as the most important piece of Barça’s new-look squad as they try to continue their dominance in Europe.

Pina has been carefully brought up over the last couple of years and has played primarily as a forward, but the departure of Putellas allowed Barça to unleash Pina in her best position as an attacking midfielder who can create for others and score goals herself.

The 25-year-old is entering her prime and has all the tools to become a superstar, and this Champions League campaign could vault her into the Ballon d’Or conversation next year if she can match the big expectations placed on her shoulders. The talent is certainly there.

The Spanish international made a high-profile switch from Barcelona to Lyon in the summer in what was a real coup for last season’s runner-ups, who hope Salma is the missing piece in their quest to dethrone Barça.

Paralluelo is an incredible athlete who combines speed and power and has become one of the best finishers in the game. At the age of 22 and with the responsibility to be Lyon’s top forward in the Champions League as they make a title push, Salma is one of the favorites to lead the scoring charts this season.

Another contender to be top scorer this season is Arsenal’s Alessia Russo, who scored nine goals last season and is still one of the best forwards in the game. She is part of an Arsenal team that won the title in 2025 and is among the contenders once again. Not to mention, she is a great finisher in front of goal.

Russo plays for a very complete Arsenal side who play strong defense and have a great midfield, but she is responsible for finishing the great team moves with a goal and can always be trusted to deliver when it matters most.

We won’t be able to watch the career of one of the best players in the history of the women’s game for much longer, so any chance to appreciate the brilliance of Pernille Harder must be appreciated.

Bayern is not currently at the very top of the list of favorites but always deserves respect. Harder is the biggest reason why Bayern gets that respect. She’s as complete a forward as the game’s ever seen with the ability to lead both the goals and assists charts, and even at the age of 33 she’s still one of the best players in Europe at her position.