Real Madrid faces 5 former champions: The absolute reign of the 'king'

The group stage of the 2025/26 Champions League will bring a huge test for Real Madrid: going up against 5 previous European champions at once.

According to UEFA’s new format, 36 teams are divided into 4 seeded groups, each playing 8 different opponents with 4 home and 4 away matches. The draw placed Real Madrid in a “maze” group: Man City (home), Liverpool (away), Juventus (home), Benfica (away), Marseille (home), Olympiacos (away), Monaco (home), and Kairat Almaty (away).

Notably, among these 8 teams, 5 have won the Champions League at least once: Man City, Liverpool, Juventus, Benfica, and Marseille. To overcome them, Real must showcase their full strength, tactics, and squad depth as one of the most successful clubs in Europe’s prestigious competition.

Real Madrid is not just a club but a living symbol of the Champions League with 15 European titles, a record unmatched by any other club. Facing 5 former champions simultaneously in the 2025/26 season is the greatest challenge to test that legacy.

This is the moment for Real Madrid to prove their class and indomitable spirit. Every victory against Man City, Liverpool, Juventus, Benfica, or Marseille is not just three points but a declaration: their dominance, authority, and grand tradition still belong to them.

Additionally, the stature of one of the continent’s most historic clubs must be demonstrated timely, as Real faces a demanding schedule and massive travel distances, such as the over 6,000 km trip to Kazakhstan to face Kairat Almaty.

Looking at the group, Real fans can’t hide their mix of worry and excitement: “Flying all the way from Asia to Almaty to watch Real close up,” or “How come Liverpool for three years and Man City for five years in a row in the draw?”, “UEFA must have locked Real with Liverpool and Man City.”

Many fans even compared it to their fierce rivals Barcelona: “While Real faces an extremely tough group, Barcelona is luckier with opponents like PSG, Chelsea, Frankfurt, Brugge, Olympiacos, Slavia Praha, Copenhagen, and Newcastle.”

With this fierce challenge, Real Madrid is not just fighting for every win but also to reaffirm their absolute reign in the Champions League. Will the “Los Blancos” overcome 5 former champions and prove that the European throne still belongs to them? The answer will unfold in the upcoming top-level matches.