11 Players To Watch During the 2025-26 European Soccer Campaign

While a couple of less prominent leagues are already underway, the 2025-26 European club season really kicks off on Friday, when England's Premier League, France's Ligue 1 and Spain's La Liga all begin the new campaign. In Italy, Serie A starts next week, as does the German Bundesliga. 

We'vew already given you our Top 20 clubs to watch this term. But what captures the imagination of fans who watch the world's most popular sport is the players. Here are 11 fascinating characters to keep an eye on between now and next May. 

Jobe Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund)

(Photo by Alex Gottschalk/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)

The younger brother of Real Madrid's English superstar Jude Bellingham, the 19-year-old midfielder helped Sunderland win promotion to the Premier League last season before following the career path of his more decorated sibling and moving to Germany. Jobe received a hero’s welcome upon his arrival at the 81,000-seat Westfalenstadion and has already been awarded the Black & Yellow’s revered No. 7 shirt. He debuted for Dortmund during the FIFA Club World Cup, then cemented himself as a starter during the preseason. Now he seems poised to help a BVB side that surprisingly reached the Champions League final two years ago challenge for its first Bundesliga title since 2012. 

Moises Caicedo ( Chelsea )

(Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Good as Cole Palmer was during Chelsea’s ultimately triumphant Club World Cup run, the Blues wouldn’t have won the title without Caicedo. Still just 23, the Ecuadoran has emerged as perhaps the best defensive midfielder in the world since leaving Brighton & Hove Albion for London two years ago this week — somehow exceeding the expectations that came with his $135