The CIES Football Observatory has released a comprehensive analytical report identifying the fastest individual performers in the current UEFA Champions League campaign. Utilizing high-precision tracking data, the study categorized the tournament’s top speedsters across five distinct tactical roles. Emerging at the pinnacle of the entire competition is Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon, who set a blistering benchmark by reaching a peak velocity of 37.92 km/h, effectively claiming the title of the fastest player in Europe’s premier club competition.
The data highlights that elite athleticism is distributed across every level of the pitch, with several young stars outperforming more established names. In the defensive department, Manchester City’s Abdukodir Khusanov emerged as the fastest central defender, clocking in at 35.8 km/h to narrowly edge out Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven. The full-back category is currently dominated by Paris Saint-Germain’s dynamic duo, with Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes both hitting a top speed of 36.4 km/h.
The study revealed the top contenders based on their maximum speed across five positional categories.
The rankings also shed light on the physical profiles of midfield and attacking stalwarts. For central midfielders, Tottenham’s teenage sensation Archie Gray led the pack with a recorded speed of 34.8 km/h, while Gordon’s top-flight pace naturally placed him at the summit of the wide midfielder and winger group. In the center-forward category, Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé continues to be a standard-bearer for explosive movement, registering a maximum speed of 35.7 km/h.
Interestingly, the report also examined how the world’s most feared strikers manage their energy during a 90-minute match. According to the CIES findings, three high-profile forwards—Kylian Mbappé (43.5%), Victor Osimhen (41.9%), and Luis Suárez (40.1%)—spent the largest portion of their match time at low intensity, specifically moving at speeds below 7 km/h. This metric suggests a tactical trend where elite finishers conserve their physical output for the high-velocity bursts that often result in decisive goals.
