Bayern Munich is emerging as Europe team to beat in the 2026 Champions League race

If anyone was wondering whether Bayern Munich truly belong in the group of elite favorites to lift the UEFA Champions League trophy in 2026, the German giants gave their clearest answer yet in Paris.

On a rocking night at Parc des Princes, Bayern battled to a thrilling 2-1 road win over defending champions PSG - a statement performance that showed they can beat the best in Europe in any circumstance: through creativity and dominance in the first half, and pure grit and defensive discipline in the second.

Head coach Vincent Kompany sprinting onto the pitch to celebrate at full-time said everything: this project is real, and Bayern Munich are once again a terrifying force, which is great news for Bundelisga fans and soccer all over Europe.

Stars at their peak - including two of the best in the world

Adding to Bayern's growing confidence, Harry Kane and Manuel Neuer have been named finalists for the 2025 Best FIFA Football Awards - recognition that the core of this squad is built on world-class reliability. Harry Kane is a finalist for Best FIFA Men's Player.

The English superstar has 41 goals across all competitions in the evaluation window. He's already a Bundesliga champion and once again one of Europe's most unstoppable scorers. Kane has become the staple of excellence for Bayern Munich.

And then there's goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, finalist for Best FIFA Men's goalkeeper with 20 clean sheets across competitions. The World Cup champion is still performing at world-class level at age 39. For a club already stacked with attacking talent, having two stars still playing at MVP level only raises Bayern's ceiling.

Kompany's Bayern is built on intensity and precision

Bayern Munich has it all: aggressive pressing from the opening whistle, wide attackers who defend as hard as they attack, and a relentless football that breaks opponents from the Bundelisga and the UEFA Champions League, which is no small feat.

A defense anchored by Upamecano and a resurgent Neuer. Midfield engines like Joshua Kimmich - who covered nearly 14 kilometers vs. PSG, The first half in Paris resembled a track meet Bayern refused to lose. They pressed high, attacked in waves, and stunned PSG with a lightning-quick goal - their fastest in Champions League play since the famous 8-2 win over Barcelona.

Colombian forward Luiz Díaz delivered a brace before his red card changed the tone, but Bayern showed they could win a different type of match when the situation demanded it. This is what Champions League winners look like: teams that can dominate and also survive. Europe has been warned.