Premier League stars have to create a special Champions League kit because of a strange rule.
Some Premier League players will get to wear a special new kit in this season’s Champions League games.
The 2026/27 Champions League season is just around the corner, starting with the first matches across Europe on September 8. Before these games begin, the official draw for the group stage happened in Monaco on August 27. All 36 teams found out who they’ll be playing during the eight matchweeks.
The draw set up some thrilling matchups, like Manchester United vs Bayern Munich, PSG vs Barcelona, and Arsenal vs Real Madrid. But before any of those exciting games start, a new kit rule for the season has been revealed, and it will affect some Premier League players.
According to David Ornstein, players making their Champions League debut this season will wear a special ‘debut patch’ on their sleeves. This patch is part of a new collaboration between sports brand Fanatics and UEFA and will feature the word “debut” inside the Champions League’s starball logo.
After their first game, the patch will be taken off and sent to Topps, Fanatics’ trading card company. It will be turned into a unique signed card by the player and put into collectible packs. If a player is a substitute but doesn’t actually play, they’ll have to wait for their first time on the field to get their card. Players who come off the bench for their debut will still get one.
These cards will be very special and could sell for huge amounts of money—some collectors pay more than £100,000, even millions, for rare cards.
This idea is expected to be introduced in the Women’s Champions League next season too.
This season, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Manchester United will represent England in the Champions League. Across these teams, 19 players could make their Champions League debuts.
For Manchester United, forward Bryan Mbeumo is almost certain to make his debut. His new teammate Carlos Baleba, who joined United for £70m from Brighton, is another strong candidate. Both could make their first appearances when United play at home against Sabah FK from Azerbaijan on September 10.
Liverpool defender Jeremy Jacquet is also expected to make his Champions League debut, having earned a spot in the starting lineup. Young winger Victor Munoz might feature too, either as a starter or from the bench. Liverpool’s first match is at home against Atletico Madrid on September 9.
At Manchester City, Iliman Ndiaye looks like the most likely to debut after moving from Everton for £65m on Deadline Day.
Here’s a list of other possible debutants by team:
**Arsenal**
– Illan Meslier
**Aston Villa**
– Zion Suzuki
– João Gomes
– Johan Manzambi
– Modou Kéba Cissé
– Brian Madjo
**Liverpool**
– Freddie Woodman
– Giovanni Leoni
– Jeremy Jacquet
– Victor Munoz
**Manchester City**
– Allan Elias
– Iliman Ndiaye
**Manchester United**
– Karl Darlow
– Tom Heaton
– Patrick Dorgu
– Leny Yoro
– Ayden Heaven
– Bryan Mbeumo
– Carlos Baleba
It’s shaping up to be a thrilling season, both on the pitch and for collectors!