Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
A club founded in 2017 is in the Champions League. A team that were 4-0 down on aggregate knocked out Celtic. And the side I'm backing to win the whole thing lost a semi-final by one goal across 180 minutes.
36 teams, 8 games each, 189 matches before anyone is even eliminated — and I'm not doing a team-by-team roll call. Just the stories that actually matter before a ball is kicked, and then the two calls I'm putting my name to: my top 8, and my winner.
Sabah are nine years old and their manager funded his coaching badges with money he won on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. Como are in Europe for the first time in their history and might have to play the whole thing with 16 players. LASK ended a 61-year wait. Viking ended a 34-year one. Fenerbahçe are back after 18 years — a year after sacking the manager who couldn't get them there.
Then the part everyone argues about. I've ranked the 8 teams I think finish in the top 8 of that league table and skip February altogether, using Opta's fixture difficulty numbers alongside squad strength, summer business and experience in this competition. Arsenal are not where you think. Neither is Manchester City.
FOLLOW ME FOR SHORT-FORM CONTENT:
instagram.com/Rabona.TV
tiktok.com/@rabonatv
Edited by: alexpigin.tilda.ws/portfolio
Inquiries: iamalexpigin@gmail.com
Intro: 00:00
The New Guys: 01:25
Returning clubs: 05:09
Reunions: 05:46
The FAILURES: 06:12
Most Difficult & Easiest Schedules: 06:41
Top 8 Ranking: 08:20
THE WINNER: 11:16
SOURCES:
uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/02a8-216cd740d41f-fd3b45ac4a0f-1000--champions-league-league-phase-draw-all-36-teams-learn-their
uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/02a6-20d57cfcd03e-407c22a7f465-1000--2026-27-champions-league-teams-dates-draws-format-final
si.com/soccer/2026-27-champions-league-draw-league-phase-games-full
fcbayern.com/en/news/2026/08/who-fc-bayern-will-face-in-the-league-phase-of-the-champions-league
bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/2026-27-champions-league-europa-draw-fixtures-results-bayern-dortmund-38801
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026%E2%80%9327_UEFA_Champions_League
uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/02a8-2171a88881a0-c70193b972c6-1000--meet-the-2026-27-champions-league-league-phase-teams
espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49730074/sabah-fk-founded-just-nine-years-ag-qualify-champions-league
sports.yahoo.com/articles/champions-league-record-youngest-ever-194400779.html
goal.com/en/lists/sabah-fk-history-and-profile-of-the-young-azerbaijani-club-who-have-qualified-for-the-champions-league-league-phase-for-the-first-time/blt860345fb6365ec21
thedailystar.net/sports/football/news/who-wants-be-millionaire-champions-league-the-journey-sabah-fc-coach-4257581
https://www.gamereactor.eu/austrias-lask-produces-one-of-the-greatest-champions-league-turnarounds-and-stuns-celtic-1764013/
onefootball.com/en/news/lask-linz-end-61-year-wait-seal-austrian-title-three-weeks-after-cup-42886673
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Viking_FK_season
football-italia.net/fabregas-admits-como-champions-league-16-17
sports.yahoo.com/articles/como-already-invested-100m-ahead-121500543.html
cbssports.com/soccer/news/how-como-re-signed-nico-paz-from-real-madrid-cesc-fabregass-champions-league
beinsports.com/en-us/soccer/serie-a/articles/like-going-to-football-university--fabregas-revels-in-comos-champions-league-qualification-2026-05-25
cbssports.com/soccer/news/serie-a-ac-milan-juventus-miss-out-on-champions-league-2026
uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/02a6-20e5a8be4e63-ae971c582f8c-1000--champions-league-qualifying-fixtures-results-dates-how-it-
espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49725639/champions-league-playoff-lask-linz-celtic-bodo-glimt-sabah
uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/02a8-216f6e7c7e3c-fa74783c353d-1000--champions-league-play-off-second-legs-round-up-sabah-lask-
dailysabah.com/sports/football/fenerbahce-send-off-lyon-to-make-champions-league-return
aljazeera.com/sports/2025/8/29/mourinho-sacked-by-fenerbahce-after-champions-league-exit
supersport.com/football/news/987a909b-e203-4f26-bf8d-61d2206cb988/tedesco-replaces-mourinho-as-fenerbahce-coach
aljazeera.com/sports/2026/6/11/jose-mourinho-named-real-madrid-coach-on-three-year-deal
realmadrid.com/en-US/news/club/latest-news/comunicado-oficial-mourinho-11-06-2026
skysports.com/football/news/11095/13570282/mohamed-salah-former-liverpool-forward-joins-turkish-club-trabzonspor-on-free-transfer-after-leaving-anfield
avfc.co.uk/news/2026/may/20/uel-2025-26-uefa-europa-league-winners
theanalyst.com/articles/champions-league-2026-27-fixture-difficulty-league-phase
A club founded in 2017 is in the Champions League. A team that were 4-0 down on aggregate knocked out Celtic. And the side I'm backing to win the whole thing lost a semi-final by one goal across 180 minutes.
36 teams, 8 games each, 189 matches before anyone is even eliminated — and I'm not doing a team-by-team roll call. Just the stories that actually matter before a ball is kicked, and then the two calls I'm putting my name to: my top 8, and my winner.
Sabah are nine years old and their manager funded his coaching badges with money he won on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. Como are in Europe for the first time in their history and might have to play the whole thing with 16 players. LASK ended a 61-year wait. Viking ended a 34-year one. Fenerbahçe are back after 18 years — a year after sacking the manager who couldn't get them there.
Then the part everyone argues about. I've ranked the 8 teams I think finish in the top 8 of that league table and skip February altogether, using Opta's fixture difficulty numbers alongside squad strength, summer business and experience in this competition. Arsenal are not where you think. Neither is Manchester City.
FOLLOW ME FOR SHORT-FORM CONTENT:
instagram.com/Rabona.TV
tiktok.com/@rabonatv
Edited by: alexpigin.tilda.ws/portfolio
Inquiries: iamalexpigin@gmail.com
Intro: 00:00
The New Guys: 01:25
Returning clubs: 05:09
Reunions: 05:46
The FAILURES: 06:12
Most Difficult & Easiest Schedules: 06:41
Top 8 Ranking: 08:20
THE WINNER: 11:16
SOURCES:
uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/02a8-216cd740d41f-fd3b45ac4a0f-1000--champions-league-league-phase-draw-all-36-teams-learn-their
uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/02a6-20d57cfcd03e-407c22a7f465-1000--2026-27-champions-league-teams-dates-draws-format-final
si.com/soccer/2026-27-champions-league-draw-league-phase-games-full
fcbayern.com/en/news/2026/08/who-fc-bayern-will-face-in-the-league-phase-of-the-champions-league
bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/2026-27-champions-league-europa-draw-fixtures-results-bayern-dortmund-38801
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026%E2%80%9327_UEFA_Champions_League
uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/02a8-2171a88881a0-c70193b972c6-1000--meet-the-2026-27-champions-league-league-phase-teams
espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49730074/sabah-fk-founded-just-nine-years-ag-qualify-champions-league
sports.yahoo.com/articles/champions-league-record-youngest-ever-194400779.html
goal.com/en/lists/sabah-fk-history-and-profile-of-the-young-azerbaijani-club-who-have-qualified-for-the-champions-league-league-phase-for-the-first-time/blt860345fb6365ec21
thedailystar.net/sports/football/news/who-wants-be-millionaire-champions-league-the-journey-sabah-fc-coach-4257581
https://www.gamereactor.eu/austrias-lask-produces-one-of-the-greatest-champions-league-turnarounds-and-stuns-celtic-1764013/
onefootball.com/en/news/lask-linz-end-61-year-wait-seal-austrian-title-three-weeks-after-cup-42886673
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Viking_FK_season
football-italia.net/fabregas-admits-como-champions-league-16-17
sports.yahoo.com/articles/como-already-invested-100m-ahead-121500543.html
cbssports.com/soccer/news/how-como-re-signed-nico-paz-from-real-madrid-cesc-fabregass-champions-league
beinsports.com/en-us/soccer/serie-a/articles/like-going-to-football-university--fabregas-revels-in-comos-champions-league-qualification-2026-05-25
cbssports.com/soccer/news/serie-a-ac-milan-juventus-miss-out-on-champions-league-2026
uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/02a6-20e5a8be4e63-ae971c582f8c-1000--champions-league-qualifying-fixtures-results-dates-how-it-
espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49725639/champions-league-playoff-lask-linz-celtic-bodo-glimt-sabah
uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/02a8-216f6e7c7e3c-fa74783c353d-1000--champions-league-play-off-second-legs-round-up-sabah-lask-
dailysabah.com/sports/football/fenerbahce-send-off-lyon-to-make-champions-league-return
aljazeera.com/sports/2025/8/29/mourinho-sacked-by-fenerbahce-after-champions-league-exit
supersport.com/football/news/987a909b-e203-4f26-bf8d-61d2206cb988/tedesco-replaces-mourinho-as-fenerbahce-coach
aljazeera.com/sports/2026/6/11/jose-mourinho-named-real-madrid-coach-on-three-year-deal
realmadrid.com/en-US/news/club/latest-news/comunicado-oficial-mourinho-11-06-2026
skysports.com/football/news/11095/13570282/mohamed-salah-former-liverpool-forward-joins-turkish-club-trabzonspor-on-free-transfer-after-leaving-anfield
avfc.co.uk/news/2026/may/20/uel-2025-26-uefa-europa-league-winners
theanalyst.com/articles/champions-league-2026-27-fixture-difficulty-league-phase
