It feels like Spain lifted the World Cup trophy just yesterday, but believe it or not, the 2026-27 European soccer season is upon us! The Premier League kicks off with defending champions Arsenal hosting newly promoted Coventry City on Friday, while Serie A and Ligue 1 also begin action this weekend.
LaLiga is already entering its second matchweek, but its biggest clubs -- Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid -- will take the pitch for the first time this season this Saturday and Sunday. Over in Germany, the Bundesliga begins play on Aug. 28.
That all means it's time for 15 ESPN writers and editors to predict everything from silverware to which teams are primed to surprise or disappoint. We also asked each of them to provide one big, bold prediction that we'll be sure to revisit at the end of the season.
Can anyone keep Paris Saint-Germain from a third straight UEFA Champions League title? Which top English club is set to tumble out of the top four, if ESPN's picks are correct? Let's get to it, starting with the English top flight.
Jump to a section: Premier League predictions | Europe predictions | One bold prediction
Can Man City prevent Arsenal from repeating as Premier League winners? Which Spanish superclub is the favorite to win the Champions League? ESPN's writers make their picks. Illustration by ESPN Premier League predictions Champions Our pick: Arsenal (13 votes)
Who else received votes? Manchester City (1), Chelsea (1)
After two decades without winning the Premier League, our voters strongly favor Arsenal to go back-to-back. What makes them a good bet to repeat? Two things: They reinforced their roster nicely, and last year's primary challenger, Manchester City, added only question marks.
Our 2026-27 predictions voting panel
This year's voters:
Bill Connelly, Rob Dawson, Tom Hamilton, Alex Kirkland, Julien Laurens, Austin Lindberg, Beth Lindop, Roberto Rojas, Gab Marcotti, Sam Marsden, Mark Ogden, James Olley, Nicholas Som, Sam Tighe, James Tyler
Arsenal's primary loss came in allowing winger Leandro Trossard to leave for Besiktas, but the incoming Bruno Guimarães nearly matched Trossard's production from a midfield role, and wing replacement Christos Tzolis has looked excellent in the early going. Arsenal's depth was tested last season and passed with flying colors, and now manager Mikel Arteta has even more options.