Lamine Yamal has been asked to name his Champions League favorite for this season, and it isn't his own club. The Barcelona forward pointed to Paris Saint-Germain, the team chasing a third straight European title.
PSG have lifted the trophy in each of the last two seasons under Luis Enrique, and only Real Madrid, Ajax and Bayern Munich have ever managed three in a row. The French side sit among the bookies' favorites again this season, with Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Barcelona all seen as their main challengers.
"I think PSG," Yamal told Movistar. "But their problem is that it's very difficult to win after winning. That's the hardest thing in football. When you win a title, winning again is the most difficult thing. That's the fear I have when we win something, that we'll relax."
Barça's Flying Start
It's a notable pick given how Barcelona have started the campaign. They've won all six of their La Liga matches, scoring 28 goals along the way, and opened their Champions League campaign with a 5-1 thrashing of Feyenoord.
Yamal, though, was candid about where he thinks Barça still fall short in Europe's biggest games. "Our weak point is facing opponents like Bayern Munich or PSG, who are more physical and force you to run a lot and stay focused the entire match," he said. "Arsenal is a more tactical game, focused on possession."
That physical test has undone Barcelona in recent Champions League campaigns. They lost in a surprise quarterfinal exit to La Liga rivals Atlético Madrid in 2025-26 and were eliminated by Inter Milan at the semifinal stage the year before that.
The Long Wait Since 2015
Barcelona haven't won the Champions League since 2015, when they were managed by Luis Enrique -- now in charge of the very PSG side Yamal has tipped to win it again. In the 11 years since, Barça have reached the semifinals just twice.
Under Hansi Flick, though, the club has won La Liga in both of his seasons in charge and has now put together a record-breaking start to 2026-27. The squad includes seven recent World Cup winners, along with the summer addition of Rodri in midfield.
Yamal may not be ready to put Barcelona in the same bracket as PSG just yet, but on the evidence of their start to the season, they look like one of the leading contenders to stop a three-peat.
