Champions League’s Top Five Fastest Players This Season Include Shock Premier League Star

Revealed: Champions League’s Fastest Players – Haaland Tops List, Nunes Surprises

Erling Haaland has emerged as the quickest player in this season’s Champions League, clocking a blistering 36.9 km/h (22.9 mph). The Manchester City striker headlines a list that includes two of his teammates, with midfielder Matheus Nunes surprisingly ranking fourth at 22.6 mph. Despite City’s underwhelming campaign—exiting early after a 6-3 aggregate loss to Real Madrid—their players dominated the speed charts.

(Image: Erling Haaland and Matheus Nunes in action for Manchester City)

Haaland’s pace is no shock given his reputation for bulldozing past defenders, but Nunes’ inclusion turns heads. Typically praised for technical skills, the Portuguese midfielder showcased his underrated acceleration, narrowly trailing PSG’s Achraf Hakimi (22.7 mph) and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé (22.6 mph). Brest’s Mama Baldé rounds out the top five at 22.4 mph.

Top Contenders and Key Performances
Hakimi, instrumental for PSG, recently played full minutes in their 1-0 loss to Liverpool, while Mbappé shined in Real Madrid’s 2-1 derby win over Atlético. The French superstar netted a hat-trick against City in the group stage, sealing Madrid’s knockout berth. Younger talents like City’s January signing Abduqodir Khusanov (22.1 mph) also impressed, landing tenth despite a rocky debut. The £33m defender from Lens adds critical recovery speed to City’s backline.

(Image: Achraf Hakimi defending for PSG)
(Image: Kylian Mbappé celebrating a goal for Real Madrid)

The Full Top 10

1. Erling Haaland (Man City) – 22.9 mph
2. Achraf Hakimi (PSG) – 22.7 mph
3. Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid) – 22.6 mph
4. Matheus Nunes (Man City) – 22.6 mph
5. Mama Baldé (Brest) – 22.4 mph
6. Nicolas Kuhn (Celtic) – 22.3 mph
7. Chemsdine Talbi (Club Brugge) – 22.3 mph
8. Adam Daghim (RB Salzburg) – 22.1 mph
9. Ibrahim Osman (Feyenoord) – 22.1 mph
10. Abduqodir Khusanov (Man City) – 22.1 mph

(Image: Abduqodir Khusanov in a Manchester City jersey)

Notable Omissions
Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies (22.1 mph) and Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior (22 mph) sit just outside the top 10. PSG’s Nuno Mendes (22 mph), who contained Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, ranks 20th.

With the Champions League knockout stages ongoing, these rankings could shift. Return legs, quarter-finals, and beyond promise more electrifying performances as Europe’s elite vie for glory.

(Word count: ~420. Images and captions included as contextual references.)