UEFA has named Real Madrid midfielder, Arda Güler, as the 2025/26 Champions League Revelation of the Season.
The announcement, made on Sunday, replaces the competition’s previous Young Player of the Season award and is designed to honour emerging talents who deliver a standout breakthrough campaign.
The recognition focuses on players who show notable improvement, influence, and consistency throughout the tournament, rather than already established stars.
Güler, 21, enjoyed a major rise in prominence during the 2025/26 season after a limited role in the previous campaign, where he made just seven appearances and started only one match, totalling 142 minutes.
This season, however, he became a key figure for Real Madrid, featuring in 14 matches, starting 13, and accumulating 1,030 minutes of play.
UEFA noted that the Turkish international ended the campaign with four assists and scored his first two Champions League goals, both coming in the quarter-final second leg against Bayern Munich.
The statement also highlighted his physical contribution, including a total distance of 126.12 kilometres covered and a top speed of 32.12 km/h.
Under UEFA’s criteria, only players aged 21 or under at the start of the season are eligible for the award, and it can only be won once. Previous winners of the Young Player of the Season category are also excluded.
The award is decided based on individual quality, influence on team performance, development, consistency, and overall maturity across the season.
Recent winners of the former Young Player of the Season award include Désiré Doué (2024/25), Jude Bellingham (2023/24), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (2022/23), and Vinícius Júnior (2021/22).