Mbappé or Khusanov? A surprise sprint battle for Champions League top speed

Kylian Mbappé has been confirmed as the fastest player of the UEFA Champions League group stage, once again underlining his reputation as one of football’s elite sprinters. The Real Madrid forward reached a top speed of 34.9 km/h.
What makes the ranking particularly intriguing is the identity of his closest challenger. Mbappé was pushed hard by Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov, with the young Uzbek clocking an impressive 34.7 km/h.
Third place went to Carlos Forbs, as the Club Brugge winger hit a maximum speed of 34.3 km/h during the group stage.
The list of the competition’s quickest players also features Federico Valverde, Ricardo Pepi, Jeremie Frimpong, Erling Haaland and Anthony Gordon, highlighting the premium placed on pace at the very top level of European football.
