The last of the red-and-white confetti has long been swept away from Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon. Arsenal's 1-0 victory over Barcelona to claim the club's second UEFA Women's Champions League crown may still be fresh in the memories of fans, but this is football. It's never done. And a new campaign is beginning.
Australia internationals Caitlin Foord, Steph Catley and Kyra Cooney-Cross all claimed winners' medals that day, but the Champions League has a long and storied history of connection with folks from the Antipodes.
Australians first played in the competition back in 2003 with Alison Leigh Forman and Sharon Black making it all the way to the final with Danish side Fortuna Hjorring.
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With the Matildas exodus to Europe in 2020, the Aussie presence in the continental tournament has only grown and grown, with a Matilda participating in all but one final since the 2019-20 season. And with seven of Joe Montemurro's squad set to shine in this season's edition, it is another indication that Australia is still very much in a golden moment when it comes to talent playing at the highest levels in world football.
And for those seven players, a chance to etch their name into football history awaits.
The Gunners enter the 2025-26 Champions League with a target on their back and simple mission to continue being the only English club to have won the biggest prize in women's European football.
The wonderful news for Australian fans is that those three Matildas remain at the core of this quest. Catley has been a rock in the center of defense for Renee Slegers' side, while Foord continues to be as important an attacking outlet to the Gunners as she is for the national team. The 30-year-old's goal-scoring and chance-creating skills are renowned, but her work off the ball and defensive pressure make her a complete player. Then there's Cooney-Cross, the 23-year-old midfielder at the vanguard of Australia's next generation of superstars, who has perhaps been a tad underutilized in the red-and-white to this point.
While North London dreams of more European success, there are 17 chasing teams ready to knock Arsenal off their perch.
Chief among them are the eight-time Champions League winners, OL Lyonnes. The French juggernaut, who now call Matildas goalkeeper Teagan Micah one of their own, are a perennial threat.
So too are Barcelona, a team filled to the brim with World Cup winners that has made the last five finals, winning three. Barça can call on the best of the best, with playmakers Aitana Bonmatí and Alexia Putellas having won the last five women's Ballons d'Or between them.
And while they have never won, English champions Chelsea will be raring for another opportunity to add the elusive Champions League trophy to their cabinet.
In years gone past, Sam Kerr would be leading the charge in blue, and she will undoubtedly be playing a role as she continues to work her way back to full fitness following her ACL injury. Matildas fullback Ellie Carpenter, meanwhile, has made the move to London from Lyon and knows what it takes to win the Champions League. So too does former Lyon boss and current Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor.
Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, VfL Wolfsburg, Atlético Madrid, and Real Madrid loom as challengers who could go deep in the tournament.
Italian giants Juventus and Roma will also be up there, with Matildas' newcomer Winonah Heatley donning the red-and-yellow of the Italian capital as she continues to stake her claim for a spot in Australia's Women's Asian Cup squad.
With a new league format, there are some stunning clashes in this early phase of the competition including Arsenal and Lyon battling it out on Matchday 1 and Chelsea and Barcelona renewing hostilities on Matchday 4. There's a reason this is the best women's club competition in the world, so get ready to watch the best of the best all season long.
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