Kylian Mbappe is not the Champions League’s fastest player: No. 1 spot claimed by unexpected Premier League star

Kylian Mbappe is widely recognized today as one of the most dangerous players in Europe. He has shined all season with Real Madrid, both in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League, leading the scoring charts in both competitions. However, a Premier League star tops him in a key statistic.

The CIES Football Observatory recently published a ranking of the fastest players in the 2025-26 Champions League, and the top spot went to Anthony Gordon. The Newcastle winger reached a top speed of 37.9 kilometers per hour, or about 23.5 miles per hour.

These results coincide with one of the English player’s brightest performances at the continental level. Last week, Gordon scored four goals before halftime in Newcastle’s victory over Qarabag in the first leg of the playoffs.

With that top speed, Gordon surpassed other Champions League stars in the ranking. Anthony Elanga, also a winger for the Magpies, is the second fastest according to the study, with a top speed of 22.7 miles per hour. Behind them are the two Paris Saint-Germain full-backs: Achraf Hakimi (22.6 miles per hour) and Nuno Mendes (22.4 miles per hour).

What is Mbappe’s top speed?

In the ranking of the fastest players competing in the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League, Kylian Mbappe still holds a prominent place. The Real Madrid forward ranks ninth overall, with a recorded top speed of 22.18 miles per hour.

That makes him the fastest center forward in the European competition, ahead of stars like Juventus’ Lois Openda, Liverpool’s Hugo Etikite, and Manchester City’s Erling Haaland. This is also reflected in the scoring charts, where Mbappe tops the list with 13 goals in nine matches.

The fastest players in the Champions League by position

The CIES Football Observatory study includes a breakdown by player position. As mentioned, Kylian Mbappe is the fastest center forward in the Champions League, while Anthony Gordon is the winger/side midfielder who reached the highest speed.

Among central midfielders, Tottenham Hotspur’s Archie Gray ranks first, with a top speed of 21.6 miles per hour. PSG full-backs Hakimi and Nuno Mendes lead the rankings for their position, while the fastest center back in Europe, according to the study, is Manchester City’s Abdukodir Khusanov, clocking 21.6 miles per hour.