In brief
Some of the fastest football players in Europe compete in the Champions League.
The top five fastest players in the 2024–2025 competition do not include players like Vinicius Junior and Alphonso Davies.
Alongside Kylian Mbappe, two of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City players make it into the top four.
Everyone is aware that Europe’s best players gather in the Champions League to vie for the continent’s largest prize. As a result, some of the world’s top players represent their teams and demonstrate why they are deserving of being considered among the finest in the beautiful game.
These players are particularly unique because of a variety of qualities. Some attribute it to their reflexes and responses, while others attribute it to their natural ability to be clinical from inside the 18-yard box or to discover a pass that no one else can see. However, a player’s speed is now an important factor that cannot be disregarded as the sport shifts from being about natural talent to being about players’ ability to perform at their best.
Some people are known for being quick off the mark, and they must learn how to improve it so that it will help them when they take the field. However, it should be noted that speed is unquestionably advantageous in this sport. And in the Champions League this season, these 20 players are the biggest speed demons to yet.
20–16
Rafael Leao, Pedro Henrique, Lois Openda, Josha Vagnoman, and Vinicius Jr.
Vinicius Junior, who finished in 20th place, is the footnote of this list and the guy who scored the goal to seal the Champions League final in 2024–2025. Usually a danger on the wing, his impact has recently diminished. However, statistically, his quick feet haven’t.
There is nothing separating him from RB Leipzig forward Lois Openda, who is considered by many to be among the best football players born in 2000, and Stuttgart defender Josha Vagnoman. Pedro Henrique of Shakhtar Donetsk and Rafael Leao of AC Milan are the two other players who are in the bottom five solely due to a technicality.
Both of the previously stated individuals had a top speed of 35.6 km/h, which is really outstanding on its own. Over the past few seasons, the latter has established himself as one of Serie A’s top players thanks to his amazing speed, and it’s obvious that he has been carrying that skill into European events as well.
15–11
Bradley Barcola, Adam Daghim, Ibrahim Osman, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Alphonso Davies
This entire category was equal on 36.5 km/h to demonstrate how amazing so many of the athletes in the 2024–25 Champions League campaign were. Shall we begin with the most famous name of all? Throughout his career, Alphonso Davies has been known for his unwavering speed, and the most recent season was no exception.
Abdukodir Khusanov, a teenage player for Manchester City, recorded the same speed. Ibrahim Osman, a Feyenoord youth, was most often utilized as a replacement, which gave him the opportunity to use his speed against opponents who were more worn out. With a top speed of 35.6 km/h, they are tied with Adam Daghim of RB Salzburg as well.
Bradley Barcola, the star of PSG, is the only player in this category to make it to the final. Even if he didn’t play as big a role in his team’s first-ever Champions League victory as players like Ousmane Demebele or Desire Doue, the French winger more than made up for it with his lightning-fast pace on the right wing. His top speed was 35.6 km/h.
10–6
Raul Asencio, Nuno Mendes, Giuliano Simeone, Chemsdine Taibi, and Nicolas Kuhn
As they are only 0.2 km/h apart, they jump into the top ten, which follows a similar pattern to the previous section. One of PSG’s unsung heroes, Nuno Mendes, kicks off the action. As one of the best left-backs in the world of football, he recorded a speed of 35.7 km/h during their journey to the Champions League final. Diego’s son Giuliano Simeone of Atletico Madrid will be joining him.
Raul Asencio recorded an amazing speed of 35.8 km/h, placing him seventh out of all the players that managed to play at any time throughout the new-look 2024–25 Champions League season, despite Real Madrid’s poor performance.
With a speed of 35.9 km/h, Chemsdine Taibi of Club Brugge almost missed the top five. Nicolas Kuhn of Celtic, who was also named as one of the top speedsters in Europe, did the same. The Scottish team lost to Bayern Munich because his speed did not help their chase.
5-1
Achraf Hakimi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Mama Balde, and Matheus Nunes
The top five: Europe’s fastest of the fastest. Additionally, some players you might think were perfect really lose out. A lesser-known figure, Mama Balde of Stade Brestois 29, comes in fifth place after achieving an extremely remarkable 36.1 km/h during the previous season.
Fourth is a more recognizable face, but Matheus Nunes of Manchester City may be an unexpected addition. The Portuguese midfielder defeated players with lightning-fast reflexes like current sensation Jeremy Doku and previous teammate Kyle Walker. Third place goes to Kylian Mbappe, who can reach a high speed of 36.4 km/h. Despite not reaching the expected heights, the Frenchman is nonetheless making an impression on the statistics.
Erling Haaland, the goal machine for Manchester City, will be next. With his astounding stats across the board, Haaland is unable to persuade anyone that he is not a robot destined to rule world football, therefore “machine” seems like the perfect description for this list. Achraf Hakimi, however, beat the Norwegian to the top of the list with a staggering speed of 36.9 km/h.
15 Fastest Players [Ranked] in the 2024–25 Champions League
Rank
The player
Club
Maximum Velocity (km/h)
1.
Hakimi Achraf
Saint-Germain, Paris
36.9
2.
Haaland, Erling
City of Manchester
36.6
3.
Mbappe Kylian
Real Madrid
36.4
4.
Nunes, Matheus
City of Manchester
36.3
5.
Mother Balde
Brestois Stadium 29
36.1
= 6.
Kuhn, Nicolas
Celtic
35.9
= 6.
Taibi Chemsdine
Brugge Club
35.9
8.
Asencio Raul
Real Madrid
35.8
= 9.
Simeone Giuliano
Real Madrid
35.7
= 9.
Mendes Nuno
Saint-Germain, Paris
35.7
= 11.
Barcola, Bradley
Saint-Germain, Paris
35.6
= 11.
Daghim Adam
RB Salzburg
35.6
= 11.
Osman, Ibrahim
The Feyenoord
35.6
= 11.
Khusanov Abdukodir
City of Manchester
35.6
= 11.
Davies, Alphonso
The Bayern Munich
35.6
= 11.
Leao Rafael
Milan AC
35.6
= 11.
Henrique Pedro
Donetsk Shakthar
35.6
= 18.
Openda Lois
RB Leipzig
35.5
= 18.
Vagnoman Josha
Stuttgart
35.5
= 18.
Junior Vinicius
Real Madrid
35.5
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