The FIFA World Cup has taken center stage this summer. The biggest and most prestigious international football tournament is always the main event, as fans eagerly anticipate watching their favorites represent their countries on the highest stage. The big names have not disappointed either, making the tournament a must-watch.
But the World Cup will soon be over, and every fan will be redirecting their attention back to the domestic leagues. There seems to be more competition than ever before, even in the big five European leagues. It could be that more clubs with more money have been able to afford to sign the players who can help them challenge the traditional title winners. Whatever the reason, anyone planning to give online betting in the US a go this season has even more to consider before making their prediction.
With that in mind, we thought we would take a look at each of the big five European leagues and see which clubs have a realistic chance of winning a title. Some of these leagues have had an almost perennial champion in the past, but will the story be the same in 2026-27?
Ligue 1
As usual, it is very difficult to see any other team than Paris Saint-Germain winning the Ligue 1 title in France next season. The capital city club won its fifth in a row last term and has only improved, now also winning back-to-back Champions League titles. Concentrating on local talent rather than galacticos, PSG looks unstoppable.
Lens came through last year as the main challenger, but all it takes is a bad run of form at any time for a team to lose sight of the wealthiest club in France. Lille, Marseille, Monaco, and Lyon will all feel as though they could be the ones to push the champions in 2026-27, but the harsh reality is that any other champion than PSG would be a huge shock.
Bundesliga
Just like PSG in France, Bayern Munich is the team to beat in Germany – and it is not very often that any other club manage to achieve that feat. The one thing that might make the Bundesliga more competitive next season is that there is now more than one other club looking like it could cause a few problems.
Bayern has traditionally only had to see off one challenger at a time, knowing that victories in games between the two would be enough for glory. But now Dortmund, Leipzig and Leverkusen will all be difficult to beat, with the likes of Stuttgart also in the mix. Bayern is able to hoover up German talent like PSG does in France, but even though another title seems more than likely, there could be an intriguing battle at the top of the Bundesliga next season.
La Liga
There might be two clubs in Spain, rather than one, that are routinely predicted to win the La Liga title, but it is still ultimately as much of a closed shop as the French and German leagues. Real Madrid and Barcelona are the perennial favorites, with Atletico coming through with a title or two in the last decade.
A lot will depend on how the return of José Mourinho at the Bernabéu goes. His golden touch has deserted him somewhat in his last few managerial postings, but Real Madrid has certainly handed him the tools to win a first La Liga title since 2024, already signing Bernardo Silva, Marc Cucurella, and Ibrahima Konaté. Barcelona look set to poach Julián Álvarez from Atlético and will still go into the new season as favorites. It looks as though it could be a particularly close race this season, however.
EPL
After years of Manchester City dominance, the last two years have seen two different title winners in Liverpool and Arsenal. With a whole host of managerial changes at many of the top clubs as well this summer, the upcoming campaign might well be one of the most open in recent Premier League history.
Enzo Maresca has returned to Manchester City to take over from the legendary Pep Guardiola, so it will be interesting to see if he can show what he has learned from the master. Liverpool will be hoping that it can benefit from the arrival of Andoni Iraola after Arne Slot’s second season turned into a disaster. He will have to do without the talent of Mo Salah, however, who has left the club.
Arsenal is the reigning champion, though, and it is the London club that will be the preseason favorite to go all the way and win the title again. Mikel Arteta has built a formidable side, expert on set pieces, and it feels as if anyone else is to win the Premier League next season, they will have to battle past Arsenal to do so.
Serie A
It says something about the amount of money in the game these days that the most competitive of the big five European leagues is the one that simply cannot compete when it comes to buying the top talent on offer. Italy’s Serie A used to be the destination for the best in the game, but now many of the top stars play elsewhere, including the best Italians.
Inter is probably the favorite to win a third scudetto in four seasons, but Napoli under new management will be a threat, as will Juventus and Milan, also with a new head coach this season. Roma, Atalanta, and Bologna will all fancy their chances of pushing for a Champions League place, at the very least, but it is a less well-known name that could pull off a huge shock next season.
Como only returned to Serie A two years ago, but, bankrolled by wealthy owners, it has taken the Italian top flight by storm under the stewardship of head coach Cesc Fabregas. An innovative recruitment policy and an attractive location for many players, it might be Como that is the biggest threat to Inter’s reign in the upcoming season.