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A year ago, Arda Güler was a footnote in Real Madrid’s Champions League campaign. Seven appearances, one start, zero goals, zero assists, 142 total minutes.
Fast forward to May 31, 2026, and the 21-year-old Turkish attacking midfielder is holding a trophy. UEFA’s Technical Observer Group named Güler the first-ever recipient of the Champions League Revelation of the Season award, recognizing his transformation from peripheral squad player to genuine impact contributor across a full European campaign.
From the bench to the bright lights
In 2025/26, he racked up 1,030 minutes across 14 appearances, starting 13 of them. He scored twice and added four assists. That’s a 625% increase in playing time.
His standout individual performance came during the league phase, where he earned Player of the Match honors against Juventus. But the moment that likely cemented his case for the award came in the quarter-finals against Bayern Munich, where he scored both of his Champions League goals in a single pivotal match.
A new award for a new era
The Revelation of the Season award is itself brand new. UEFA introduced it this cycle to replace the previous Young Player of the Season honor. Rather than simply identifying the best young player in the tournament, the award is designed to spotlight players aged 21 or younger who demonstrated extraordinary growth over the course of the campaign.
The eligibility criteria have a few wrinkles worth noting. Players must be 21 or younger at the start of the season. The award can only be won once, preventing a single prodigy from monopolizing it across multiple campaigns. And anyone who previously won the old Young Player of the Season award is excluded entirely.
The award ceremony coincided with other individual honors from the tournament. PSG’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia took home the Player of the Season award, while UEFA also released its official Team of the Season.
The longer arc
Güler joined Real Madrid from Fenerbahçe on July 6, 2023, in a deal worth a fixed fee of 20 million euros plus potential add-ons.
His 2024/25 Champions League campaign was negligible in terms of output. In 2025/26, Güler went from fringe figure to regular starter, scoring twice against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.
What this means for Güler and Real Madrid
Güler’s name will be permanently attached to the award’s origin story as its inaugural recipient. For Real Madrid, their 20 million euro investment is starting to look like a bargain, with Güler having proven he can perform in the Champions League knockout rounds against elite opposition.
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