European football's 5 biggest questions heading into 2026

Football is called the beautiful game for a reason. Its unpredictability can spring incredible surprises, inspire underdog stories, and evolve the game tactically every year.

Last season, European football witnessed massive upsets, dramatic title races, teams ending trophy droughts, and even heartbreaking tragedies, reminding us why the game has enormous global popularity with millions of fans following every narrative beat. 

With 2026 just around the corner, here we look at some key talking points going into next year. 

Will Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal fire themselves to a Premier League title?

From struggling for Champions League qualification to becoming title contenders every season, Arsenal have truly transformed under Mikel Arteta. However, the Gunners have failed to cross the finishing line, having finished second in the Premier League for each of the last three seasons.

This season, though, the Gunners are looking imperious and inevitable. Having lost just once, they have been difficult to score against, while on the attacking front they look more assured thanks to effective new signings Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyökeres. Their ability to score consistently from set pieces is another massive advantage when it comes to beating teams that go for a low defensive block.

Arsenal currently lead the Premier League table by seven points and have conceded only three goals after ten games. So far, so good, and it looks like this could finally be the season they end their over-20-year wait for a league title. They have also performed superbly in the Champions League thus far, having blown away every team in their path in the league phase.

There is genuine positivity and belief around the Emirates. Arsenal arguably have the most balanced and experienced squad in the league in comparison to their league rivals Liverpool and Manchester City, both of whom look in transition with several new additions, with experienced players having either left or being on the cusp of leaving. They also finally seem to have the squad depth necessary to tackle an injury crisis, which may finally lead them to translate their consistent performances into major silverware.

Will Ruben Amorim bring back Manchester United’s glory days? 

Ruben Amorim joined Manchester United in November last year after the sacking of his predecessor, Erik ten Hag. However, United’s fortunes didn’t improve with the change in personnel. In fact, they went on to have their worst league campaign in living memory, ending the season in 15th place.

However, in his defence, Amorim didn’t have the kind of players he wanted and primarily had to work with the players Ten Hag had brought in for his own vision.

United did reach the Europa League final last season, beating some big-name European teams along the way with impressive performances, but they lost in the final to fellow league strugglers from last season, Tottenham Hotspur, who thus ended their 17-year trophy drought.

Ahead of the new season, Amorim was provided with funds to strengthen the United squad and shape it in his image, with proven league stars from previous seasons in Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha roped in alongside young Slovenian striker Benjamin Šeško from RB Leipzig. Amorim also let go of error-prone goalkeeper André Onana and brought in Senne Lammens to add more confidence at the back.

After the dismal start to this season, there was widespread belief that Amorim might not survive for long. But the United management expressed their trust in the Portuguese and have given him more time. And after their torrid start, the Red Devils have finally started to look good. At the moment, they are four games unbeaten, having even beaten the likes of Chelsea at home and Liverpool away.

United are starting to look like a team united, and even though there’s a long way to go, the signs are finally positive. Having no European football to contend with will only help the team rest better and perform more strongly in the league. Amorim is finally starting to put his own stamp on this side, and if they perform consistently, United will at least qualify for Europe come May.

However, Manchester United are far from ready to challenge for the Premier League title again, with the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City, and even Chelsea ahead of them in the pecking order. Premier League sides have become more competitive than last season, making Amorim’s task even tougher.

Though Amorim achieved success at his previous club, managing expectations and pressure at the Theatre of Dreams is a different kettle of fish. While I do not believe that he is capable enough to lead United back to the top of English football, he might be able to at least get them going in the right direction again. With a lot of gaps still needed to be filled, United may need a more experienced coach with the right mentality in order to become a league-winning side again.

Erling Haaland vs Kylian Mbappé: Who will top the goal-scoring charts? 

Both Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé are, without a doubt, the best strikers in the world. When they are both on song, it’s a nightmare for opposition defenders.

So far this season, both Haaland and Mbappé have been right on the money, banging in goals for fun and leading their teams to wins. While Real Madrid have other contributors in Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham to help Mbappé with scoring duties, Haaland has been boosting City’s goals tally almost single-handedly.

Last season, there was a vast difference between their numbers, as Haaland wasn’t able to perform as per his incredibly high standards amid a team-wide drop-off. On the other hand, despite playing for a new team, Mbappé still produced amazing numbers, yet it felt like he had underperformed. While Haaland had 34 goals and five assists in 48 games and went through a period where he missed games due to injury, Mbappé scored 44 goals and bagged five assists in 59 games for Los Blancos.

This season seems different, though, with both City and Real Madrid performing far better than last season. Thanks to Haaland’s goals, Man City are second in the Premier League table, six points behind Arsenal. The Norwegian has 13 goals and an assist in ten league games already, while he has also scored in every Champions League game thus far.

As for Mbappé, he has been in exceptional form as well, with Real Madrid currently top of the table in LaLiga. He has 13 goals and two assists in 11 league games, while he already has five goals in three Champions League games so far.

Right now, it’s difficult to say who will outscore whom. However, considering Real Madrid’s slightly better form, and the fact that he has better support from players around him, Mbappé looks more likely to top the goal-scoring charts this season.

Is Xabi Alonso the answer to Real Madrid’s woes? 

Xabi Alonso was appointed head coach of Real Madrid ahead of the 2025/26 season following his impressive stint with Bayer Leverkusen, having taken them from battling relegation to beating Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title.

With all due respect to Leverkusen, Real Madrid is a massive step up, especially since Alonso has replaced a legend in Carlo Ancelotti, though being a former player at the club may offer him a bit of leverage.

The Spaniard’s style of play and management is vastly different from Ancelotti’s. So far, though, things look good, as Alonso has managed to bring a bit of control to what was a chaotic Real Madrid team last season. They’ve lost only one game so far and are top of the table in LaLiga, remaining unbeaten in the Champions League, having also beaten arch-rivals Barcelona in El Clásico recently.

By their lofty standards, Real Madrid had a poor season last time out, but the appointment of Xabi Alonso could be a sign of things changing. Having already achieved success at Bayer Leverkusen, there’s no doubt the Spaniard can achieve wonders with this star-studded side. Although the Real Madrid management and fans are notorious for having very little patience with mediocre performances, with a little faith they’ll be reaping massive rewards with Alonso at the helm.

Will Gli Azzurri make the 2026 FIFA World Cup? 

Italy have not made it to the last two editions of the FIFA World Cup. For a country that boasts four World Cups, a rich legacy of world-class talent, and one of the most competitive leagues in Serie A, it’s nothing short of a travesty that Gli Azzurri haven’t been at the World Cup since 2014.

In 2018, Italy failed to beat Sweden in the play-offs, missing out on World Cup qualification for the first time since 1958. During the 2022 World Cup qualification stage, they finished second in their group behind Switzerland and did manage to reach the second play-off round, but there they lost to North Macedonia. This time, the 2006 World Cup winners simply cannot afford to miss out.

And so far, they have looked in much better nick. Grouped with Norway (18 points), Israel (9 points), Estonia (4 points), and Moldova (1 point) in Group I, they’re second in the table with 15 points and are due to play Moldova and Norway in the next international break. They will be confirmed a play-off spot even if they lose to Moldova, as long as Norway avoid defeat against Estonia, or if they draw and Norway win. Italy will qualify directly if they win both their games and Norway lose or draw against Estonia.

With everything to play for, based on their performances and results this time around, I believe Italy will ultimately qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.