The CONMEBOL Copa América™ stars who will play in the Champions League

• Richard Ríos will make his debut in the competition.
• The final will be played on May 30, 2026, in Budapest.

This Tuesday, September 16, the League Phase of the 2025/26 Champions League begins. The prestigious club tournament will feature a strong presence of players who shone at the CONMEBOL Copa América 2024™.

Richard Ríos, one of the breakout stars of the world’s oldest national team tournament, will make his Champions League debut this season with Benfica. The Portuguese side, which also includes Nicolás Otamendi (two-time CONMEBOL Copa América™ champion), will open against Qarabağ Agdam of Azerbaijan.

PSG, the reigning champion, features Willian Pacho, Marquinhos, and Lucas Beraldo. Their first match of this edition will be against Atalanta.

Liverpool vs. Atlético de Madrid is one of the standout matches of Matchday 1. The English club has Alisson and Alexis Mac Allister, while the Spanish side includes Julián Álvarez (out for the opener), Nahuel Molina, Juan Musso, and Nicolás González, all CONMEBOL Copa América™ champions.

Another big game of Matchday 1 will see Bayern Munich, with Alphonso Davies and Luis Díaz, face Chelsea, led by Enzo Fernández, Moisés Caicedo, and Alejandro Garnacho.

The top scorer of the last CONMEBOL Copa América 2024™, Lautaro Martínez, will look for redemption with Inter after losing last season’s Champions League final. Their first match will be against Ajax.

Barcelona’s Raphinha, who was the top scorer of the 2024/25 Champions League with 13 goals, will start this edition against Newcastle. Ronald Araújo also plays for the Catalan club.

Another team stacked with South American stars is Real Madrid, the all-time Champions League leader (15 titles), who will debut against Marseille. The Spanish side includes Vinícius Jr, Rodrygo, Militao, Endrick, and Federico Valverde.