15 Fastest Players in the Champions League (2024/25)
Everybody knows that the Champions League is where Europe’s elite come together to compete for the biggest prize that the continent has to offer. And with that comes some of the best players in the world representing their various clubs and showcasing why they deserve to be among the upper echelon of the beautiful game.
There are many different attributes that make these players so special. For some, it is their reactions and reflexes; for others, it is their innate ability to find a pass no one else can see or be clinical from inside the 18-yard box. However, as the sport becomes less about natural ability and more about athletes being able to operate at the highest level, one element that cannot be ignored any longer is a player’s speed.
Some make their name from being quick off the mark and have to learn how to hone that in a way that can benefit them when they step out onto the pitch. Make no mistake though, being quick is certainly a blessing when it comes to this sport. And these 15 players are the biggest speed demons so far in this season’s Champions League.
15-11
Vinicius Junior, Josha Vagnoman, Lois Openda, Pedro Henrique, Rafael Leo
To showcase just how incredible so many of the athletes in this season’s Champions League are, the bottom half of this list are all separated by just 0.1 km/h. That’s how tight the margins are when you’ve got so many speedsters running at breakneck speed. Of those, three fall below the rest, clocking in at 35.5 km/h to be exact.
The man who scored the goal to seal last year’s Champions League final sits as the footnote, with Vinicius Junior taking 15th spot behind a certain Galactico teammate that we will get to later. He is joined by Stuttgart defender Josha Vagnoman and RB Leipzig frontman Lois Openda, with nothing to separate the trio.
The remaining two who fall into the bottom five purely on a technicality are Shakhtar Donetsk’s Pedro Henrique and AC Milan superstar Rafael Leao. The latter has been using his incredible pace to turn himself into one of the best players in Serie A over the last few seasons, and it is clear he has also been bringing that to European competitions too.
10-6
Alphonso Davies, Ibrahim Osman, Adam Daghim, Kylian Mbappe, Chemsdine Taibi
Jumping into the top ten, which follows a similar pattern to the last section, the bottom three players are all tied with the same speed. Kicking things off is Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies, who has proved himself to be one of the quickest defenders of all time by producing some incredible speeds during his time in the Bundesliga.
Joining the Canadian at 35.6 km/h is Feyenoord youngster Ibrahim Osman, who was most frequently used as a substitute, allowing him to use his pace against more tired opponents. They are also level with Adam Daghim from RB Salzburg.
Just about able to pull away from the pack behind him is Real Madrid’s superstar signing of the summer, Kylian Mbappe. The Frenchman may not have hit the heights hoped of him, but he is still leaving his mark in the statistics. Just missing out on the top five is Club Brugge’s Chemsdine Taibi.
5-1
Nicolas Kuhn, Mama Balde, Matheus Nunes, Achraf Hakimi, Erling Haaland
The top five. The quickest of the quick in Europe. And some players you may assume were nailed on actually miss out. The fifth and fourth spots go to two of the lesser-known names – Nicolas Kuhn of Celtic and Mama Balde of Stade Brestois 29 – managing a very impressive 35.9 and 36.1 km/h respectively.
Third is a more recognisable face but perhaps a surprise entrant in the form of Manchester City’s Matheus Nunes. The Portuguese midfielder manages to beat out the likes of former teammate Kyle Walker and current star Jeremy Doku, both known for being lightning quick. As is Achraf Hakimi, who just misses out on the top spot despite recording a whopping speed of 36.5 km/h.
Besting the Moroccan by just 0.1 km/h, though, is Manchester City goal machine Erling Haaland. And machine seems like the appropriate adjective for this list, as Haaland fails to convince anyone that he’s not a robot sent to dominate world football, posting such incredible numbers across the board.
All statistics courtesy of UEFA – accurate as of 30/01/2025.
