While Champions League ties will be the subject of many people's focus this week, there are plenty of EFL Cup third round games on Tuesday and Wednesday that could also produce some memorable drama.

The pick of the ties comes from Old Trafford, where Manchester United - who start their Europa League campaign next week - host League One Barnsley, who lost 3-2 to United’s Under-21 side in the EFL Trophy in August.

Last season's FA Cup semi-finalists Coventry will be looking to claim another Premier League scalp as they host a Tottenham side heading into the tie after their 1-0 defeat in the North London derby, while QPR are another Championship club with a home tie against top-tier opposition as they face Crystal Palace.

Tip 1: Over 2.5 Manchester United goals v Barnsley @ 21/20

Barnsley have already conceded three times to Manchester United’s U21 team this season and a repeat looks likely when they face the senior side at the Theatre of Dreams - albeit a team that is not expected to be full strength.

The Tykes lost 3-0 to Stevenage in League One last time out, while the Red Devils looked strong in their 3-0 Premier League win at Southampton. Fringe players such as Antony and Jonny Evans may get their chance to shine on Tuesday and, after scoring three against top-flight opposition, they should have little problems getting past a side who are seventh in the third tier.

Tip 2: Everton to win v Southampton @ 49/50

Everton have lost their last two matches 3-2 - losing two goal leads in both - but the Toffees could finally claim their first win of the campaign when they face the only other side yet to register a point in the Premier League.

Sean Dyche’s men may be suspect defensively but they have shown their attacking qualities in recent weeks, while the Saints have netted just one goal against top-division opposition this season.

Tip 3: Both Teams to Score in QPR v Crystal Palace @ 3/4

The London derby between QPR and Crystal Palace could be close and the both teams to score market may provide the best bet in this encounter.

The Championship side have not lost since the opening day of the season and each of their seven matches has seen goals at both ends, while the same is true for three of Palace’s five league and cup fixtures.

Tip 4: Brentford to win to nil v Leyton Orient @ 1/3

The Bees caused Manchester City a host of problems in their 2-1 league defeat at the Etihad on Saturday and they should prove too strong for League One Leyton Orient - who have lost five of their eight matches in all competitions this season.

Brentford’s only defeats this season were against the reigning champions and Liverpool while Orient have netted just twice in their four away matches this season and could struggle for chances.

Tip 5: Coventry to win v Tottenham @ 11/2

Coventry were the talk of the FA Cup last season, when they were a marginal offside call and a penalty shootout away from the final, and they may feel confident that they can stun a Tottenham side reeling from a demoralising derby defeat.

The Sky Blues have lost just one of their last six in all competitions while Spurs are yet to win away from home and, should they make wholesale changes to their starting line-up, they could come undone.

The conclusion of the international break means the return of the Premier League and there are a number of mouth-watering match-ups this weekend as England’s top tier resumes.

The undoubted clash of the weekend is the North London derby, where Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham will be hoping to take all three points against an Arsenal side who have been hit hard by injuries and suspensions in recent weeks.

The opening game on Saturday sees Southampton, who are still searching for their first points of the campaign, host Manchester United - who have started the new season poorly.

The weekend also sees Aston Villa, who will have one eye on their first Champions League fixture next week, host Everton, Chelsea make the trip to the south coast to take on Bournemouth, while Wolves take on Newcastle in the final game on Sunday.

Tip 1: Tottenham to win @ 2/1

This might be the best possible time for Spurs to face their bitter rivals, with Arsenal missing Declan Rice through suspension, as well as Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino and Riccardo Calafiori through injury.

The Gunners have won just two of their last 10 away league fixtures with Spurs and dropped points for the first time last time out. With Tottenham likely to have Dominic Solanke and Micky van de Ven back in the squad, the hosts could claim the bragging rights.

Tip 2: Both Teams to Score in Southampton vs Manchester United @ 11/20

Southampton have lost each of their opening three matches of the season, while United were defeated in each of their last two league fixtures.

The form of both sides makes it difficult to back either for victory. However, four of the last five meetings at St Mary’s have seen winners in the BTTS markets, so history does point to goals at either end.

Tip 3: Aston Villa to win and BTTS @ 19/10

Villa have won two of their opening three Premier League fixtures and should prove too strong for an Everton side who squandered a 2-0 lead in the 87th minute to lose 3-2 at home to Bournemouth last time out.

While the Villans should make home advantage count, they have conceded in both victories this season and, after netting their first league goals of the campaign, the Toffees could get themselves on the scoresheet.

Tip 4: Bournemouth to win @ 5/2

The Cherries remain unbeaten in the league this season and they could find some joy when they host a Chelsea side that looks increasingly vulnerable in defence.

Their 6-2 win at Wolves in their last league away day came largely through the poor defensive play of the hosts rather than exquisite attacking tactics and they have conceded in each league game so far, which could allow the hosts to snatch all three points

Tip 5: Newcastle to win @ 27/25

Pressure is beginning to mount on Wolves boss Gary O’Neil after just one point earned from their opening three matches and this is unlikely to ease when they host an unbeaten Newcastle on Sunday.

The Magpies have taken seven points from a possible nine to begin the campaign and have netted in all but one of their last 23 Premier League away days and this scoring form should see them claim victory.

The Champions League returns on matchday one and we're here with a NEW format with games being played on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this season. It's a sharp change for clubs and means that more games have to be fit in their schedule. English teams are likely to suffer with two Cup competitions but on matchday one, they have no excuses!

It's England Vs Milan in two of the opening games as AC host Liverpool and Inter travel to the Etihad to take on Manchester City, in a repeat of the 2023 Champions League final. City won on that day 1-0, thanks to a goal from Rodri. Pep Guardiola and his men would be more than happy for that to happen again on the 18th.

Liverpool Vs AC Milan has been a Champions League final on two occasions but when the two sides faced off in 2021, Liverpool won both fixtures by one goal. AC have only beaten Liverpool once and that was 2-1 in the 2007 Champions League final after two goals from Filippo Inzaghi.

Arsenal's return to the Champions League was halted last season by Bayern Munich but this year they begin their campaign with their first trip to Italy in over five years to face a team, they have never faced before - Atalanta.

Meanwhile, the headline for English football will be Aston Villa's return to Europe's top competition for the first time since 1983. Their campaign begins against Young Boys in Switzerland where they will hope to pick up three points before their home fixture against the feared Bayern Munich.

Matchday One Betting Tips

Another thrilling edition of Europe’s premier club competition starts this week, with a staggering 18 Champions League matches taking place between Tuesday and Thursday.

All five British participants are in action, with reigning Premier League champions and 2022-23 winners Manchester City starting their European bid at home against Inter in a repeat of the 2023 final.

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal face a tricky trip to Europa League victors Atalanta on Thursday night while Aston Villa - playing in their first Champions League competition - begin their tournament with a trip to Swiss side Young Boys.

Tip 1: Under 2.5 goals in Atalanta v Arsenal @ 11/10

Five of Arsenal’s last six away matches in all competitions have seen no more than two goals scored and that theme could continue when the Gunners face Atalanta on Thursday.

The Italian side have won only one of their last three matches, however they have lost just one of their last seven at home in all competitions and they could frustrate an Arsenal team whose last three continental away days have produced no more than two goals.

Tip 2: Liverpool to win v AC Milan @ 19/20

The Reds suffered defeat for the first time this season on Saturday but Arne Slot’s side could bounce back against AC Milan, who have started their Serie A campaign poorly.

The Rossoneri have won just one of their opening four matches this season and have conceded at least twice in three of those games. With their defence showing cracks, the talents of Mohamed Salah and co should shine.

Tip 3: Over 2.5 goals and both teams to score in Young Boys v Aston Villa @ 7/10

Aston Villa’s Champions League debut against Young Boys could be a close-run affair, with both sides in decent form heading into this encounter, and so the goals markets may provide the more lucrative betting options.

Three of Villa’s four matches this season have provided winners in both the over 2.5 goals and both teams to score markets, while the same is true for three of Young Boys’ four home fixtures in all competitions.

Tip 4: Celtic to win to nil v Slovan Bratislava @ 57/50

Celtic have conceded just one goal in their opening six matches in all competitions this season and home advantage could see the Scottish champions get off to a winning start.

Slovan Bratislava have never won an away game in this competition after the qualification rounds and are worth taking on.

Tip 5: Manchester City to win and both teams to score v Inter @ 9/5

Manchester City are a perfect four from four so far this season and their winning start will be expected to continue against an Inter side without a win in their last three away matches.

However, Pep Guardiola’s men have kept only one clean sheet this season and their defensive vulnerability could allow the Italian team to get on the scoresheet - as they have done in 29 of their last 30 matches in all competitions.

Champions League First Matchday Fixtures

Securing promotion from the Championship isn’t easy. English football’s second tier is way more competitive than the Premier League and clubs regularly outspend their resources in a scramble to escape the Championship and compete in the Big Time.

It doesn’t always work. The likes of Leeds, Sunderland, Blackburn, Birmingham, Portsmouth and Leicester have felt the affects of a bad financial strategy that ends in relegation.

However, there are also plenty of standout success stories in the Championship. As of the 203/24 season, 11 teams have secured promotion with 94 points or more.

Below, we look at the best Championship teams to ever compete in this division, and which defied the Championship odds along the way.

11 Best Championship Teams Ever

The EFL rebranded the First Division to the Championship for the 2004/05 season. Leeds beat Derby County 1-0 in the first match of the newly-named league. Neither club make our list of the greatest.

This list only concerns clubs from the Championship era, and includes a side from that inaugural season.

11. Sunderland (2004/05) – 94 points

Sunderland entered the new Championship era having missed out on promotion in the playoffs the previous season. They started the new campaign with just one win in six but soon got into their groove. Aided by Marcus Stewart's 16 goals, Sunderland had recovered the deficit by Christmas and then went on a remarkable charge, winning 11 of the last 13 games to finish seven points clear of second-placed Wigan.

Mick McCarthy's side actually lost more games (10) that season than Wigan and third-placed Ipswich (both 9). However, Sunderland's ability to avoid draws and hold to on three points on a regular basis earned them their 94-point haul.

10. Newcastle United (2016/17) – 94 points

Newcastle United are one of three clubs to feature twice on this list of the best teams in the Championship. They breached 100 points back in 2009/10 – more of that later in this article – and in 2016/17 again set the pace as they bounced straight back from relegation.

Newcastle beat Brighton by a point to win the Championship that season, despite losing one more game than the Seagulls. They endured a rocky patch in April to scare a few nervy fans but eventually got over the line with an end-of-season 3-0 victory over Barnsley.

The Magpies spent almost £60m on players that summer but managed to make a profit on player trading as the likes of Moussa Sissoko (£30m), Georginio Wijnaldum (£25m) and Andros Townsend (£13m) were sold. New arrivals DeAndre Yedlin and Matt Ritchie impressed, while £10m acquisition Dwight Gayle top scored with 23 goals.

Rafa Benitez’s Newcastle were 4/7 favourites to secure promotion that season.

9. Norwich City (2018/19) – 94 points

Daniel Farke's first promotion season with Norwich came in only his second campaign in the Championship. Norwich appeared to be going nowhere after failing to bounce back from relegation in 2016. Yet Farke breathed a new life into Carrow Road and achieved promotion in 2019 on a meagre budget.

Emiliano Buendia was the headline signing that summer at a cost of just £1.4m, while Teemu Pukki arrived on a free transfer from Danish side Brondby. Pukki bagged 29 goals in 43 games, while Buendia managed eight alongside a hoard of assists.

Norwich went undefeated from mid-February and even overcame a wobble of four straight draws to win the Championship. Their 94 points put them five ahead of second-placed Sheffield United as they lost just six games all season.

Norwich were the joint 19th favourites at 7/1 to go up that season.

8. Ipswich Town (2023/24) – 97 points

Ipswich are the only team on this list to claim a top-11 points haul in the Championship and not actually win the title that season. The Tractor Boys gained promotion back to English football's second tier in 2022/23 and set about solidifying their place. Yet the pace with which Kieran McKenna's side started the season meant they were in a title racer from the off.

Ipswich lost just one league game until late November and didn't seem interested in draws. Defensively they weren't perfect but could always be relied upon to score. They finished the campaign as top scorers with 92 goals and having lost just six times.

However, draws crept in during the second half of the campaign, which meant Leicester beat them to the title by a point. Ipswich's success came from spreading goals across the squad. Five players finished the campaign with seven or more goals. George Hirst and Jack Taylor were the only two summer signings that really made an impact as McKenna kept the bulk of his League 1 side together.

Ipswich were 9/2 outsiders to get promoted that season.

7. Leicester City (2023/24) – 97 points

One point ahead of Ipswich in 2023/24 was Leicester, a team with far greater resources, a stellar squad, and parachute payments. The Foxes, like Ipswich, lost just one game until November and proved near-impossible to get points off. Their first of only four draws came in the 18th game of the campaign. Leicester conceded just 41 goals thanks to their solid defensive figures including Wout Faes, Jannik Vestergaard, Conor Coady and Hamza Choudhury

Leicester sold James Maddison to Tottenham for £40m, while Harvey Barnes cost Newcastle roughly the same. This gave Enzo Maresca funds to rebuild slightly and keep the bulk of his Premier League squad.

Despite winning the league and setting the seventh-best Championship points tally of all time, Leicester fans weren't always enamoured by Maresca. The Foxes somewhat stumbled over the line but did record a remarkable 5-0 win over Southampton during the run-in.

Leicester were 11/2 favourites to achieve promotion that season

6. Norwich City (2020/21) – 97 points

Norwich became a yo-yo club under Farke. They were immediately relegated back to the Championship a year on from their 94-point haul in 2018/19. The solution: go back up and do it even better. Their 97 points earned in the 2020/21 campaign featured just seven defeats – the same as third-placed Brentford. The difference was Norwich's 29 league wins.

They beat second-placed Watford by six points and outscored the Hornets with 75 goals over the season. Farke had to sell Jamal Lewis and Ben Godfrey and didn't have too much success with his new arrives. Loan signing Oliver Skipp, though, was the standout performer amongst the likes of Pukki and Buendia who had been in this situation before.

Norwich won just one of their opening four games in 2020/21 but a hot streak in February and March put them in control of their fate. They rounded off the season with a 2-2 draw at Barnsley, with the title already sewn up.

Norwich were 9/4 second favourites to secure promotion that season

5. Wolverhampton Wanderers (2017/18) – 99 points

Wolves have now gone six seasons in the Premier League since coming within a point of the 100 mark when winning the 2017/18 Championship title. They never really had a big winning streak – their longest being six games – but they lost just once between late October and late February.

Nuno Espírito Santo took over a side that finished 15th in the Championship the previous season and cost Walter Zenga and Paul Lambert their jobs. The 2017/18 campaign was very different. Nuno signed 20 players in the summer transfer window alone, including £15.8m arrival Ruben Neves. Diogo Jota also arrived from Atletico Madrid on loan.

It didn't take long for the team to gel and Nuno's rigid system worked perfectly in the Championship. Nine players started 29 games or more that season – an indication of the consistency that ran through the team.

Wolves were 100/30 to go up to the Premier League that season

4. Burnley (2022/23) – 101 points

There wasn't much to shout about at Turf Moor when Burnley – without Sean Dyche – were relegated from the Premier League in the spring of 2022. The club needed a big culture revamp and Vincent Kompany was a bit of a gamble. Yet Kompany was smart with his transfer budget, sold Nick Pope, Nathan Collins, Dwight McNeil and Max Cornet for a combined £68m, and began to rebuild.

Burnley won their season-opener 1-0 at Huddersfield before going on a four-game winless streak. They then lost just once until April as Company's dynamic style of football bamboozled lesser opponents. A 4-0 victory over Swansea in October 2022 saw them move top of the Championship and they barely looked back.

They broke the 100-point barrier and finished 10 points ahead of second-placed Sheffield United.

Burnley were 9/4 second favourites to achieve promotion that season

3. Leicester City (2013/14) – 102 points

Leicester's road to winning the Premier League in 2016 started when Nigel Pearson took over as manager for the second time in 2011. Pearson had already lost his job after guiding Leicester out of League 1 but was back at the King Power under owner Vichai Raksriaksorn, having succeeded Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Pearson delivered a sixth-place finish in his first full season back in charge, only for the Foxes to fall in the semi-finals. He kept striker David Nugent, though, and was rewarded with 22 goals as Leicester secured the title a year later.

This was the season Riyad Mahrez made his entrance to English football, while Jamie Vardy bagged 16 goals. Leicester didn't have a great start and lost five of their first 16 league games. They then went unbeaten from 21 December to early April, and lost just once more as they cantered to the title.

2. Newcastle United (2009/10) – 102 points

Newcastle were in crisis on the two occasions they fell out of the Premier League, yet bounced back straight away on both occasions. The 2009/10 campaign was fraught with difficulties.

Caretaker boss Chris Hughton was only made permanent manager in the autumn of that season. Sir Bobby Robson died that summer, Kevin Keegan ruled out a return to St James' Park, and there was uncertainty over owner Mike Ashley's intentions to sell up.

Yet the Magpies bounced back spectacularly, losing just four games all season. They went on a 15-game unbeaten run between October and February, and then went 17 without defeat to the end of the campaign. Alan Smith, Danny Guthrie, and Jonas Gutierrez played pivotal roles in getting the Toon back into the big time.

1. Reading (2005/06) – 106 points

Reading set the pace in 2005/06 and no team has come within a win of beating their record Championship points haul of 106. The Royals had never won the second-tier title. They've only been promoted from the Second Division four years prior.

Boss Steve Coppell had endured the frustration of losing their last three games at the end of the 2004/05 season to crash out of the playoff spots and finish seventh. He signed a string of talent, including Kevin Doyle and Shane Long from Cork City. They, along with Dave Kitson and new signings Leroy Lita, Stephen Hunt and John Oster, would help propel Reading to the title.

They lost just two games all season. The first was a 2-1 defeat at home to Plymouth on the opening day, the other a 3-2 reversal at Luton in deepest, darkest February.

The Champions League is getting another revamp for the 2024/25 season that UEFA hopes will keep the big clubs happy and well away from their failed European Super League plan.

European football’s governing body is stripping out the 32-team, eight-group format in favour of a 36-team mega league.

Thankfully not everyone will play each other. That would create a new league bigger than most domestic competitions. Instead, Champions League teams will play only a handful of group games and compete to secure safe passage to the last-16.

So, it’s goodbye to the Champions League as we know it and hello to a whole new tournament structure. This guide will take you through the new Champions League and explain how it works for the upcoming season.

What Is The New Champions League Format?

The new Champions League format consists of 36 teams competing in one big league. Each team will play eight games – four at home, four away – against opponents across an equal number of seedings.

Nine teams will be placed in each pot. Each team will face two opponents from each pot, which makes eight games per team. UEFA is scrapping home and away games in the group stage, so rather than playing four teams twice, each side will take on eight separate opponents.

Teams that finish in the top eight in the league will qualify directly to the last-16. Those that finish ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged playoff to join them. Those that finish 25th and below exit European football and don’t even fall into the Europa League.

How Does The New Champions League Work?

The new Champions League will work by splitting 36 teams into four equal pots of nine. Teams will then be drawn according to their seed and be matched up with two teams apiece from each pot.

For example, Manchester City could draw:

Pot 1:

• Real Madrid (h)
• Inter Milan (a)

Pot 2:

• Bayer Leverkusen (a)
• Club Brugge (h)

Pot 3:

• Sporting Lisbon (a)
• Feyenoord (h)

Pot 4:

• Stade Brest (a)
• Sturm Graz (h)

UEFA has had to find eight midweek spots to fulfil the Champions League schedule for the 2024/25 season. The only way to feasibly do this is to push the group phase into 2025, with two gameweeks taking place in January.

Champions League New Rules

UEFA have introduced a string of new rules for the revamped Champions League format, particularly with regard to qualifying. However, you'd be wrong in thinking having four more teams enter this year would benefit clubs from the "smaller" leagues in Europe.

Here are the new Champions League rules to be aware of…

Qualifying:

Champions League qualifying will remain the same, with clubs competing either in the 'Champions' route or the 'League' route. There are three qualifying rounds before the final, two-legged playoff round. Two teams qualify from the 'League' path and five from the 'Champions' path.

The four additional qualifying spots will be differently allocated.

Spot 1: The club ranked third in the league of the association that is fifth on the coefficient list. In 2024/25 that side is Brest from France.

Spot 2: An additional spot for a domestic champion qualifying through the 'Champions' path.

Spot 3 and 4: Dubbed the 'European Performance Spot', these two places are awarded to the associations with the 'best collective performance by their clubs in the previous season'. Italy and Germany achieved this last season, so Bologna and Dortmund will make the league stage.

League Phase

Teams will play eight games in the league phase, rather than six group games. Teams will play four home and four away games against eight individual opponents. There will be no reverse ties until the knockout stage.

There will be additional matchdays on 21-22 January and 29 January 2025 to cater for the extra gameweeks.

Knockouts

The top eight teams in the league phase progress to the last-16, while teams ranked ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged playoff. Those who lose that playoff will not drop into the Europa League.

History of the Champions League format

The new 189-game Champions League format looks totally different to the inaugural European Cup that launched with just 16 teams back in 1955. Back then, it was a straight knockout from the last-16 to the final, with teams playing home and away legs. Real Madrid beat Reims 4-3 in the final.

Aberdeen and Chelsea chose not to compete that season as the Football League argued a European tournament distracted from the domestic game. Hibs took the opportunity to compete and reached the semis, where they lost 3-0 on aggregate to Reims.

The next format change came two years later when the European Cup expanded to 24 teams and included a preliminary round to whittle the numbers to 16. The preliminary round got bigger and bigger until UEFA opted to expand to a 32-team knockout competition in 1966/67. Celtic beat FC Zurich, Nantes, Vojvodina, Dukla Prague and Inter Milan to win the European Cup that season.

From there, the format didn't really change until 1991/92 when a group stage was added to the competition. It was still known as the European Cup for one last season and featured two knockout rounds before a group stage consisting of eight teams, four in each group. The two group winners (Sampdoria and Barcelona met in the final.

A year later and the Champions League officially came to life, in the same format as the last European Cup. The format continued until 1994/95, when 16 teams competed in a four-group group stage, which then led to knockouts from the quarter-finals onwards. Two more groups were added in 1997/98, and in 1999/00 UEFA created two group stages that stretched until March.

That format didn't last long and UEFA finally settled on a 32-team, eight-group Champions League format that become the norm for the next two decades.

Latest Champions League Odds

Check out the latest Champions League odds at BetUK today. Our outright markets run throughout the season and cover everything from Champions League winner betting to golden boot. You can also bet on Champions League games live at BetUK and gain access to thousands of top odds.

Trigger bet boosts, use Pre Packs to create more intricate wagers, and get all the latest stats and updates to help shape your bets.

Betting on the Ballon d’Or is a lot more competitive now the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristisano Ronaldo are stepping away from football’s centre stage. Messi won the gong in 2023 as recognition for his World Cup triumph with Argentina the year before.

But with Messi in the MLS and Ronaldo embedded in Saudi club football, it finally looks as though a new generation for footballers will have their turn to compete for the Ballon d’Or.

This is a European Championships year, meaning the 2024 winner is likely to go to a player who helps deliver the goods for their country in Germany. Saying that, Brazilian Vinicius Junior is the Ballon d’Or betting favourite right now.

The next five years will be an interesting period for the Ballon d’Or. It will feature two European Championships, a World Cup, two Copa Americas, and the usual cycle of club football tournaments.

We’ve picked five players we believe stand the best chance of winning the Ballon d’Or between 2024 and 2029:

Ballon d’Or Winners of the Future

Before we look at our list, it’s worth remembering that the Ballon d’Or judges tend to focus on international success in years where major tournaments have taken place. In the fallow years, then a player who helps their side win the Champions League is most likely to win.

Vinicius Junior

No wonder, then, that Vinicius Junior tops the Ballon d’Or betting this year. He catapulted Real Madrid to a 15th European crown in 2024 and is looking to fire Brazil to Copa America glory this summer.

Vinicius is a sporting superstar but has also been forced to fight extreme racism at club level. This has cast him into the wider media spotlight and his ability to express himself clearly and emotionally means his impact goes way beyond the game.

If Vinicius doesn’t win this year then he almost certainly will soon. Whether it’s via the club route or helping Brazil win the World Cup in 2026, the Ballon d’Or is almost guaranteed to fall at his feet eventually.

Jude Bellingham

A more realistic option in 2024 and perhaps in 2028 is Jude Bellingham. The England superstar dominated La Liga in 2023/24 and is Real Madrid’s most important player already.

Bellingham is clean cut, marketable, speaks well, and has fans all over the world. He is the sort of player Ballon d’Or judges want at their ceremony. He also won the Kpa Trophy in 2023.

If he helped deliver European Championships success for England and Bellingham would have almost certainly won the Ballon d’Or at the end of the year. He might struggle to do so again in 2026 as England are unlikely to win a sizzling World Cup across North America. But they are joint Euros hosts in 2028 and the stars could align here for another Bellingham gong.

Kylian Mbappe

Neymar arguably missed out on multiple Ballon d’Or wins because of Messi and Ronaldo. Well, Kylian Mbappe doesn’t have that problem. The new Real Madrid sensation is already a two-time World Cup winner and his sheer excellence meant France were joint-favourites to win Euro 2024 before losing out to Germany.

Mbappe made the Ballon d’Or podium for the first time in 2023, coming third behind Messi and Erling Haaland.

It’s practically inconceivable that he will not win this gong between now and 2029. France have three opportunities to win major trophies and Real will be in La Liga and Champions League contention each season.

There’s a very real possibility that the top-three names at a future Ballon d’Or awards night all represent Real Madrid.

Harry Kane

Perhaps the outsider in this list, Harry Kane had two BIG chances to win the Ballon d’Or. The first was 2024 if his goals led England to European Championship glory. The second is in 2026 when England go for the World Cup.

Kane is almost guaranteed to win titles at Bayern Munich and maintain his already-hot scoring rate. This, coupled with a Champions League push in 2026, could set him up for a glorious World Cup.

The stars need to align for Kane eventually. He turns 31 this year so the 2026 World Cup may be his last chance to challenge for the Ballon d’Or.

Erling Haaland

Haaland is on the other end of the scale to Kane. He’s only 23, has already won the treble in England, and is a goalscoring machine. He finished second in the 2023 Ballon d’Or behind Messi.

The only thing that lets Haaland down is the international stage. He isn’t going to deliver a major trophy for Norway. Even making a major tournament would be an achievement. It means Haaland’s best chances of winning the Ballon d’Or will come in 2025 and 2027, when there’s no World Cup, European Championships, or Copa America.

If he keeps up his scoring rate at Manchester City and delivers another Champions League title in 2025 or 2027 then he will almost certainly win the Ballon d’Or.

How is the Ballon d’Or Winner Selected?

The Ballon d’Or is selected by a panel of journalists. One journalist from each of the top 100 countries in world football votes for their preference.

Jurors are given a list of 30 players and they need to rank their top six in order of preference.

Editorial staff at France Football and L’Equipe determine the 30-player shortlist.

When is the Ballon d’Or Winner Announced?

The Ballon d’Or used to focus on calendar years but now it looks at player achievements over the course of a season. This makes it a little easier to judge.

The Ballon d’Or winner is announced at a ceremony in Paris every October. This year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place on 28 October 2024, alongside the Kopa Trophy ceremony and the Ballon d'Or Féminin ceremony.

Next 5 Ballon d’Or Predictions

• 2024: Kylian Mbappe
• 2025: Erling Haaland
• 2026: Vinicius Junior
• 2027: Erling Haaland
• 2028: Jude Bellingham

Chelsea have signed some remarkable footballers over the past three decades in the Premier League – but also some incredible flops. It stands to reason that when a Russian billionaire buys your club, he's going to want to spend money. Then, when an American tycoon takes over, he's going to love splashing the cash too.

Chelsea transfer spending reached £2bn on new players in the decade between 2013/14 and 2023/24.

The Blues haven't always got their transfer policy right and in recent years have hoarded young talent in an effort to overcome financial sustainability rules. They were also the first to offer eight-year contracts to players, in order to amortise their spending over more years.

There are some great accountants in west London but also some frivolous managers and scouts.

Below, we've picked the 10 worst Chelsea signings in Premier League history. Three of them were free transfers, while some were eye-wateringly expensive. All were flops.

Worst Chelsea Transfers Ever

• 10. Kepa Arrizabalaga – £71.6m
• 9. Fernando Torres – £50m
• 8. Steve Sidwell – Free
• 7. Alvaro Morata – £60m
• 6. Kalidou Koulibaly – £33m
• 5. Juan Sebastian Veron – £15m
• 4. Winston Bogarde – Free
• 3. Mark Bosnich – Free
• 2. Romelu Lukaku – £97.5m
• 1. Danny Drinkwater – £35m

​​10. Kepa Arrizabalaga – £71.6m

Chelsea had one of the world's best goalkeepers in 2018 but couldn't keep Thibaut Courtois away from Real Madrid. They responded to the Belgian's departure by breaking the world transfer record for a goalkeeper. Kepa Arrizabalaga cost the Blues £71.6m but he hasn't proved value for money.

He refused to be substituted in the 2019 EFL Cup Final, which Chelsea lost to Manchester City on penalties. He struggled to compete with veteran Willy Caballero for the first-choice goalkeeper spot the following season, and was then benched almost permanently when Edouard Mendy joined the club.

Kepa was moved on loan to Real Madrid for the 2023/24 season, where he barely played. He is arguably the victim of Chelsea going through five managers during his stint in London.

​​9. Fernando Torres – £50m

The reason Fernando Torres was such a flop at Chelsea was because he was so good for Liverpool. The Anfield icon quit Merseyside in search of trophies in 2011, and duly won the Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup. But his £50m price tag proved too heavy a weight to carry.

Torres never scored more than eight league goals in any of his four Premier League seasons at Stamford Bridge. He was shifted out on loan to Milan in 2014 but lasted just 10 games before moving on loan to his former club Atletico Madrid.

That was the end of his Chelsea career. As for Liverpool, they spent 70% of the Torres transfer fee on Andy Carroll. Neither fan base was happy with what they got.

​​8. Steve Sidwell – Free

Reading offered Steve Sidwell a £25,000-per-week, four-year deal in the summer of 2007 but the midfielder opted to join Chelsea on a free transfer instead. Newcastle United, Everton and Aston Villa had also been interested, yet Chelsea were going places.

Jose Mourinho thought he'd landed a bargain. What he'd actually signed was a free flop. Sidwell scored just once in 25 games for Chelsea that season. He started just 13 matches and didn't even feature after February. Aston Villa bought him the following summer, which at least earned Chelsea a trading profit.

​​7. Alvaro Morata – £60m

Alvaro Morata captained Spain to Euro 2024 glory, has won two La Liga titles, two Serie A championships, and the Champions League twice. He even won the FA Cup and Europa League while on Chelsea's books. Yet his stint in west London marks the low point of his remarkable career.

Morata joined Chelsea in the summer of 2017 for £60m. replacing fan favourite Diego Costa. He endured a miserable time despite winning trophies. He scored just 16 league goals across two seasons and faded away when Maurizio Sarri took over.

He moved to Atletico Madrid on loan in 2019 and moved to Spain permanently in the summer of 2020.

​​6. Kalidou Koulibaly – £33m

Kalidou Koulibaly had been rumoured with a move to the Premier League for years when, at the age of 31, he finally left Napoli for England. He joined Chelsea for £33m and immediately went into the heart of Thomas Tuchel's defence.

Graham Potter succeeded Tuchel within months of Koulibaly's arrival and the defender kept his place for a while, before crashing out of favour when Frank Lampard became manager again.

Within a year, the sought-after Ivorian had quit London for Saudi Arabia in a £20m move to Al-Hilal. He was not worth the media hype that for years had tipped him as a guaranteed hit for whichever Premier League team would sign him.

​​5. Juan Sebastian Veron – £15m

Juan Veron had a fairly average career at Manchester United. He won the Premier League under Sir Alex Ferguson in 2003 but his £28m price tag was always considered a little high. Ferguson sold Veron to Chelsea after that Premier League title victory, knowing the Argentine was past his best.

He was. Veron cost Chelsea £15m and he paid them back with seven Premier League appearances. He scored just one goal and spent much of the season injured. Jose Mourinho immediately sought to sell Veron when he took over at the Bridge the following summer. He played for Inter across two loan spells and won two Coppa Italias and the 2006 Serie A title.

As for Ferguson, he replaced Veron with Eric Djemba-Djemba, Kleberson and Alan Smith.

​​4. Winston Bogarde – Free

There are plenty of myths around Winston Bogarde's career at Chelsea. He has rubbished claims he used to fly from his home in Barcelona for training, and then fly out again. He insists he didn't go on strike or simply sit on the bench and rot.

What actually happened with Winston Bogarde is this. He joined Chelsea in the summer of 2000 under manager Gianluca Vialli, although the Italian didn't know the deal was happening. A week later Chelsea sacked Vialli and Claudio Ranieri came in. He wasn't interested in Bogarde.

The Dutchman says he and the club sought a loan move but no-one would pay his £40,000-a-week wages. Bogarde says he was even willing to take a 30% pay cut, but still there were no suitors. Chelsea started a cost-cutting exercise in 2002. Remember, this was before Roman Abramovich came on the scene. He retired in 2004 when his contract expired, having cost Chelsea more than £10m in wages.

​​3. Mark Bosnich – Free

Another free transfer that ended up as a flop. Mark Bosnich joined Chelsea from Manchester United in 2001 on a £40,000-a-week salary. Injuries kept him out of action for around six months and in November that year he played his last game for the Blues, against Everton.

Bosnich couldn't get back into the team after that and in September 2022 failed a drugs test. He was handed a nine-month ban and his career at Chelsea ended in ignominy.

​​2. Romelu Lukaku – £97.5m

Chelsea signed Romelu Lukaku for £10m in 2011 but did nothing with him. After a forgetful first season, he went on loan to West Brom and then Everton, and eventually secured a permanent move to Goodison Park. That would be the last Chelsea saw of Lukaku until 2021, when they suddenly got a whiff the then-Inter striker was for sale.

Inter, who had signed Lukaku from Manchester United, needed cash fast. Lukaku wanted to play in the Premier League again and Chelsea were happy to oblige. They struck a £97.5m deal that Inter naturally accepted. Lukaku re-joined Chelsea but struggled under boss Thomas Tuchel and held an interview with Italian media hinting that he wanted to return to Serie A.

Chelsea were furious and Lukaku's season was effectively over. He returned to Inter on loan the following summer for a loan fee worth less than 10% what Chelsea paid for him. He then went on loan to Roma under similar circumstances for the 2023/24 season and, as of summer 2024, is still a Chelsea player.

​​1. Danny Drinkwater – £35m

The reason Danny Drinkwater is the biggest flop in Chelsea transfer history is because the deal should never have happened. In 2017 Drinkwater, a Premier League champion with Leicester the previous season, was looking for a new club. Leicester had sacked Claudio Ranieri, N'Golo Kante was gone, and there were rumours about Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy seeking moves.

Chelsea, meanwhile, were sweating over the newly-introduced "Home Grown Player" rule that meant they needed English talent fast. Drinkwater was available and Chelsea were after midfielders. He fit the bill and duly signed a five-year contract.

However, managerial changes at Stamford Bridge again affected one of their new recruits. Maurizio Sarri wasn't interested in Drinkwater and two years after signing he was sent on loan to Burnley for six months. Then he moved to Aston Villa, and then Kasımpaşa in Turkey. He spent one final season on loan at Reading before retiring in 2023.

Now that UEFA Euro 2024 has come to a close, having been claimed by Spain, it’s time to take a look at the highest paid international football managers and compare their annual salaries. Managers land jobs based on their track record and are more likely to keep them based on their ability to qualify for big tournaments and progress as far as possible once they make it through. Take a look at our list and discover the top paid international football managers.

England’s Gareth Southgate used to feature on this list but after leaving England following their Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain, a new name has made it into the top five.

Ronald Koeman - Netherlands - £2.5 Million

Koeman kicked off his career as a defensive midfielder for some of the best clubs in Europe throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He played for the likes of Ajax, PSV and Barcelona, establishing himself as one of the best players in his position. He won several accolades, including La Liga, the Eredivisie and the UEFA Champions League. Koeman even played for the Netherlands and formed part of the squad that claimed the UEFA European Championship in 1988.

Once he hung up his boots, Koeman switched to managing, starting as an assistant manager for the Dutch team. Before long he managed some of the best European clubs, including Ajax, Valencia and Barcelona. He managed the Netherlands for the first time from 2018 to 2020 and again in 2023. He led the national team to the UEFA Euro 2024’s semi-finals against England, but the team lost 2-1.

Despite heavy criticism during the tournament, Euro 2024 was one of the best runs the team has had in a decade and Koeman remains the manager for the Dutch team, enjoying a salary of £2.5m a year as one of the highest paid football managers.

Didier Deschamps - France - £3.2 Million

France’s renowned manager has been at the helm of the national team since 2012, but his career originally started as a defensive midfielder. He played for French clubs like Nantes and Marseille, before moving to Juventus where he would go on to win the Serie A, Coppa Italia and UEFA Champions League. Deschamps would eventually move to Chelsea and finish his career at Valencia in 2001. He also formed part of the incredible French team that won the FIFA World Cup in 1998.

He immediately switched to management, working at Monaco before managing his former club Juventus and bringing them back to Serie A football following the Calciopoli scandal. After a brief stint with Marseille, Deschamps was given the huge task of managing the French national team. He built a strong team that performed well in both the 2014 FIFA World Cup, as well as the 2016 UEFA Euros. But the team’s best performance came in 2018, winning the nation’s second FIFA World Cup.

In the 2024 UEFA Euros, Deschamps' France made it to the semi-finals only to be eliminated by Spain who went on to win the cup. Their performances were deemed as sub-standard as the team failed to reach the levels required but still reached an impressive semi-final, another decent performance with the team has solidified his position as manager which comes with a wage of £3.2m.

Roberto Martinez - Portugal - £3.4 Million

Most may remember Roberto Martinez as the manager who guided a brilliant Belgian team to third place in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. But after six years at the helm of the Belgian national team, Martinez has moved on to yet another European powerhouse, this time managing Portugal.

His career as a defensive midfielder saw him playing for several clubs across Spain and England. This included the likes of Zaragoza, Wigan Athletic and Swansea City. Eventually, he would kickstart his managerial career with Swansea City, before moving on to Wigan Athletic and Everton.

In the 2024 UEFA Euros, Martinez led his squad to the quarter-finals, facing off against a strong French team. The game ended in a stalemate and was ultimately decided by penalties, which saw France winning 5-3. Martinez looks to focus on a possession-based style of play which has worked well but failed to provide silverware. Belgium continue to be one of the Europe's best team but many still believe they're underperforming, no matter what side of the fence you're on, the fact remains that Martinez is one of the world’s highest paid international football managers, earning an annual wage of £3.4m.

Julian Nagelsmann - Germany - £4 Million

Nagelsmann’s playing career may have come to a quick end due to a series of injuries at the tender age of 20, but he’s managed to become one of the best young managers in the sport’s history. He managed his first team, TSG Hoffenheim when he was just 29, saving the club from relegation and leading them into UEFA Champions League qualification.

His next stint was at RB Leipzig, where he led the club to a UEFA Champions League semi-final and enjoyed a good run in the Bundesliga. He eventually took the big job at Bayern Munich, winning his first Bundesliga. The club would eventually fire him mid-season, but this would lead him to his role as manager of the German national team.

He became the youngest manager ever in the UEFA Euros, leading the team towards the tournament’s semi-finals. The team lost to Spain in the end but was easily one of the strongest in the competition. Many believe that if Germany hadn't conceded a late goal to Mikel Merino and Spain, they would have gone on to walk the rest of the competition. He'll have to wait at least two more years for success. As he remains in charge of the national team with an annual football manager salary of £4m.

Roberto Mancini - Saudi Arabia - £21 Million

The Italian manager had an excellent career as a player but rose to the challenge of managing some of the best teams in the sport. He kicked off his career with Fiorentina, moving on to Lazio and Inter Milan, building a winning team that claimed both the Serie A and Coppa Italia twice in a row.

His exploits landed him the job at Manchester City, where he managed to win both major domestic cups, the Premier League and FA Cup. His career would then take him to Galatasaray, before returning to Inter Milan and eventually moving on to Zenit Saint Petersburg. From Russia, Mancini would then move back to Italy to manage the national team.

Working closely with his assistant Gianluca Vialli, Mancini put together a strong squad that would go on to win the 2020 UEFA Euro in a final against England. But after a lacklustre performance in the FIFA 2022 World Cup, he eventually resigned from his post. In August of 2023, he signed a contract with the Saudi Arabian national team, scoring a wage of £21m a year. He led the team through the group stage of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, although the team would then get knocked out in the final 16 stage.

As it stands, Mancini has Saudi Arabia's best win percentage since 2015 and he isn't the first big name to manage the team with the likes of Herve Renard and Frank Rijkaard managing the team in the 10 years prior to the Italian. Whether or not the Saudi Arabian board believe Mancini has been worth his HUGE wage so far, remains to be seen.

Their Round of 16 defeat to South Korea in the Asian Cup will be forgiven if they progress through to the World Cup. However, they sit in Group C alongside Japan, Australia, Bahrain, China and Indonesia making this a difficult challenge.

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