European Football 2026-27: Biggest Stories as Leagues Return
The new European football season is already underway, with the Eredivisie and Primeira Liga in action and the major leagues now preparing to follow.
La Liga kicks off with plenty of attention on Jose Mourinho's return to Real Madrid, while Bayern Munich begin their Bundesliga title defence as heavy favourites. In France, Paris St-Germain are chasing another Ligue 1 crown, and Serie A could offer one of the continent's most unpredictable title races.
Away from the traditional major leagues, Mohamed Salah's surprise move to Trabzonspor has also added another fascinating storyline to the new campaign.
Here are the biggest European football stories to watch as the 2026-27 season gets underway.
Mourinho's Real Madrid Return Could Change La Liga
Jose Mourinho's return to Real Madrid is one of the biggest talking points of the new La Liga season.
The Portuguese manager is back at the Spanish giants 13 years after his first spell ended, taking charge of a squad packed with some of the biggest names in world football.
Real Madrid were expected to dominate after signing Kylian Mbappe in 2024, but their performances have not always matched the talent available. Last season, the team often appeared divided between a formidable attack and a defence that could be exposed on the counter.
Mourinho will now be tasked with finding the balance.
Real Madrid have strengthened their squad with Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konate, Denzel Dumfries and Bernardo Silva. Yan Diomande is also expected to provide another attacking option.
Vinicius Junior has agreed a new deal after previously being linked with Arsenal, adding further stability to Mourinho's attacking options.
But the biggest challenge could be managing a dressing room containing Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius.
Mourinho's previous spell at the Bernabeu ended amid dressing-room disquiet. Whether the experienced manager can successfully handle the personalities in his current squad will be one of La Liga's biggest questions.
Barcelona remain the team to beat.
Hansi Flick's side were not quite as dominant last season as they had been in 2024-25, but they remain favourites to win a third consecutive league title.
Replacing Robert Lewandowski's goals will not be straightforward, although Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi have arrived to strengthen the attack.
The first Clasico of the season, scheduled for the end of October, could provide an early indication of whether Mourinho's Real Madrid can genuinely challenge Barcelona.
Bayern Munich Begin Another Bundesliga Title Hunt
Bayern Munich enter the Bundesliga campaign as the obvious favourites after Vincent Kompany guided the club to a domestic double last season.
Their attacking numbers provide the clearest explanation for that confidence.
Harry Kane continues to be Bayern's main source of goals. The England captain has scored 98 goals in 94 Bundesliga appearances, while Michael Olise also played a major role last season.
Together, Kane and Olise contributed 51 Bundesliga goals.
Luis Diaz adds another dangerous attacking option, while Morocco international Ismael Saibari has also joined Bayern's squad.
The biggest concerns lie elsewhere.
Manuel Neuer is now 40, while questions remain about the strength and reliability of Bayern's defence. Their attacking quality may allow them to overcome those weaknesses against many opponents, but the title race could become more interesting if rivals can exploit them consistently.
Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen all have the quality to challenge, although consistency could prove decisive.
The Bundesliga will also have one of its most interesting promotion stories in years.
Schalke 04 are back in the top flight after three years away, bringing the fierce Revier derby against Borussia Dortmund back onto the calendar.
Elversberg's rise is even more remarkable. The club were competing in the regionalised fourth tier as recently as the 2021-22 season and have now reached the Bundesliga for the first time.
With Spiesen-Elversberg home to around 13,000 people, the club will represent one of the smallest communities in Bundesliga history.
PSG Still Look Almost Impossible to Stop in France
Paris St-Germain have established an extraordinary level of dominance in Ligue 1, and the new season appears unlikely to change that immediately.
PSG have won the previous five Ligue 1 titles and have done so with an average goal difference of +76.
After back-to-back Champions League triumphs, Luis Enrique's side enter the domestic campaign with enormous expectations.
Yet there is at least one reason for their rivals to believe they can be challenged.
PSG lost six league matches last season. That was two more defeats than they suffered across the previous two campaigns combined.
The champions have also strengthened, bringing in attacking midfielder Maghnes Akliouche from Monaco and left-back Lucas Digne from Aston Villa.
There could still be movement in the squad, with Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye attracting interest from Liverpool.
Monaco and Lille are the two most recent clubs to deny PSG the Ligue 1 title, but neither appears particularly well placed to repeat that achievement this season.
Marseille face their own difficulties after financial problems restricted their transfer activity, while Lens and Lille are both starting the campaign with new managers.
Lens finished as PSG's closest challengers last season but will now have to adapt to Dino Toppmoller's methods.
Lille face a similar adjustment under Davide Ancelotti.
Strasbourg also have plenty of rebuilding to do after losing Liam Rosenior and Gary O'Neil to Premier League clubs. The club have suffered some heavy pre-season defeats after losing several important members of the team that reached the Conference League semi-finals last season.
Serie A Could Be Europe's Most Open Title Race
While Bayern and PSG look like clear favourites in Germany and France, Serie A could be considerably harder to predict.
Inter Milan are expected to defend their title, but several potential challengers have undergone major changes during the summer.
Napoli, AC Milan, Atalanta and Lazio have all appointed new managers, while Juventus and Milan are under pressure after failing to finish in the top four last season.
The absence of Champions League football could benefit some clubs by reducing the number of demanding midweek fixtures. However, teams competing in the Europa League could face the opposite problem, with Thursday-night matches potentially affecting their domestic campaigns.
Ruben Amorim's spell at AC Milan will attract particular attention.
The former Manchester United manager now has the opportunity to make his mark at San Siro, while his progress will also be closely followed by supporters of his former club.
Napoli have appointed Max Allegri as they attempt to rediscover the form that previously made them title contenders.
Como are another club worth watching.
After emerging as one of the stories of last season, Cesc Fabregas' side must now prove they can maintain their domestic progress while preparing for their first Champions League campaign.
The club also face a race against time to complete improvements to their lakeside stadium if they are to host European matches there.
Roma could also enter the title conversation.
Gian Piero Gasperini guided them to third place last season after a difficult start, and the club have backed him in the transfer market.
The next challenge is turning that progress into a genuine Scudetto challenge, with Roma still waiting for their first Serie A title since 2001.
Salah's Surprise Move Adds Intrigue to Turkey
Mohamed Salah's move to Trabzonspor has become one of the most unexpected stories of the European summer.
After leaving Liverpool at the end of his contract, the Egypt international chose Trabzonspor instead of one of Turkey's traditional powerhouses, Galatasaray, Fenerbahce or Besiktas.
Trabzonspor won the Super Lig in 2021-22, and Salah now has the opportunity to help the club challenge for another title.
His arrival immediately raises expectations.
If Salah can deliver the championship in his first season, his status at Trabzonspor could become legendary. The move also gives the Turkish league another major global name to follow.
Ajax, Porto and Sporting Face Their Own Title Battles
The intrigue extends beyond Europe's four biggest leagues.
In the Netherlands, PSV Eindhoven are attempting to win a fourth consecutive Eredivisie title.
Ajax and Feyenoord will be looking to recover from disappointing campaigns after making changes in the dugout.
Ajax have appointed Spaniard Michel, while former Netherlands captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst has taken charge at Feyenoord.
Portugal could provide another competitive title race.
Porto are attempting to defend a Primeira Liga title for the first time since 2013, but Benfica are expected to challenge strongly under Marco Silva.
Sporting CP are also looking to reclaim the championship after winning the league in 2023-24 and 2024-25.
With the Eredivisie and Primeira Liga already underway, those title races will begin taking shape before the major leagues have even completed their opening rounds.
Europe's New Season Has No Shortage of Big Questions
The 2026-27 European football season has already produced several storylines capable of dominating the campaign.
Mourinho's return gives La Liga an intriguing new dynamic, particularly with Real Madrid trying to close the gap on Barcelona.
Bayern Munich remain the overwhelming favourites in Germany, while PSG's domestic dominance makes them the obvious team to beat in France.
Serie A appears more difficult to predict after a summer of managerial changes, potentially creating an opportunity for a challenger to emerge.
And in Turkey, Salah's decision to join Trabzonspor has provided one of the most surprising moves of the summer.
With major title races beginning across the continent and the first Clasico of the season approaching in October, European football has plenty of questions waiting to be answered.
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