UEFA names Madrid’s Güler 2025/26 Champions League revelation

Real Madrid midfielder, Arda Güler, has been named the 2025/26 Champions League Revelation of the Season by UEFA.

The award, announced on Sunday, replaces its Young Player of the Season accolade.

It recognises young players who record a breakthrough campaign in the competition based on progression, impact and consistency, rather than already established stars.

Güler, 21, made a significant leap in the 2025/26 season after limited involvement in the previous campaign, when he started only one match and made seven appearances overall, totalling 142 minutes.

In contrast, he featured in 14 matches this season, starting 13 of them and playing 1,030 minutes.

UEFA said, “The Turkish international ended the campaign with four assists together with his first two goals in the Champions League, which both came in Madrid’s quarter-final second leg at Bayern.”

The Real Madrid midfielder also covered a total distance of 126.12 kilometres and recorded a top speed of 32.12 km/h.

According to UEFA, eligible players must be aged 21 or younger at the start of the season and can only win the award once.

Previous Young Player of the Season winners are also not eligible.

The winner is selected based on individual skill, measurable impact on team performance, and overall progression, maturity and consistency over the season.

Previous winners of the Young Player of the Season award include Désiré Doué (2024/25), Jude Bellingham (2023/24), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (2022/23) and Vinícius Júnior (2021/22).