Roma have got themselves back in the Champions League at long last, meaning some of their players could be getting their first taste of the competition.
Although Roma have been out of the Champions League since the 2018-19 season, most players in the squad that has got them back there have some degree of experience at that level.
Paulo Dybala, who provided both assists in the win over Hellas Verona that confirmed Roma’s top-four finish, has played in more than 50 Champions League games, for example, but all of those were for Juventus.
The only players in Roma’s current squad to have played in the Champions League for the team they now represent are Lorenzo Pellegrini and Bryan Cristante from the 2018-19 season, with Stephan El Shaarawy also involved then but now set to depart on a high note.
On the flipside, there will be some complete newcomers to the Champions League if they stay with Roma into next season.
These are the seven Roma players – not counting anyone currently on loan – who have never played in the Champions League before.
Gianluca Mancini
Mancini finished third with Gian Piero Gasperini at Atalanta in the 2018-19 season, but the defender sacrificed a first taste of Champions League football to join Roma that summer.
He might not have expected having to wait until the age of 30 to get another chance of Champions League football, but a reunion with Gasperini in the capital finally gave him the opportunity.
Mancini was Roma’s second most-used outfield player in the 2025-26 season, behind only Cristante.
Manu Koné
Koné was regarded as one of Europe’s top midfield prospects when Roma snapped him up in August 2024, but he hadn’t made a European debut of any variety with Borussia Mönchengladbach or his previous club Toulouse by then.
The Frenchman has since played 17 times in the Europa League and looks ready for the step up to Champions League level at the age of 25.
Roma may have to resist interest in him from elsewhere again this summer, but will be hoping the financial implications of their top-four finish can strengthen their hand.
Wesley
One of the revelations of the season, Wesley largely played out of position at left wing-back for most of his debut campaign in Italian football.
Wesley has played in the Copa Libertadores, South America’s equivalent of the Champions League before. He was just breaking through into the Flamengo squad when they won it in 2022, although he didn’t play any part in that campaign.
The 22-year-old could have attracted glances from Champions League clubs this summer after just one year if Roma hadn’t got there themselves. He still might, but Roma will be hoping he can remain a key player for years to come.
Niccolò Pisilli
Playing in the Champions League would be the culmination of Pisilli’s rise through the Roma ranks. The academy graduate has come on leaps and bounds in his second full season with the first team.
He has four Europa League goals to his name so far, spread across three different seasons. Still only 21, he has a good chance of raising his profile even more as long as he retains Gasperini’s faith.
Daniele Ghilardi
Ghilardi’s move from Hellas Verona will become permanent this summer after a season in which he showed signs of growth after a slow start.
Each season of the 23-year-old defender’s career has been a step up so far, a pattern set to continue next term.
In 2022-23 he was playing in Serie C, in 2023-24 he stepped up to Serie B, in 2024-25 he got his chance in Serie A and in 2025-26 he progressed to Europa League level. Next stop: Champions League.
Jan Ziółkowski
A young defender seemingly less likely to stay with Roma for their Champions League return is Ziółkowski, who hasn’t really won over Gasperini.
The 20-year-old arrived at Roma in the summer just after helping Legia Warsaw in the Conference League qualifiers.
He went on to score his first goal for the club in the Europa League against Midtjylland, but he was hooked after half an hour in his first game in the competition for Roma against Viktoria Plzeň and has been mentioned as a candidate to make a profit on this summer.
Artem Dovbyk
Like Mancini, Dovbyk gave up Champions League football to join Roma after being the top scorer in the 2023-24 La Liga season, when Girona broke into the top four.
He scored twice in the Europa League in his first season with Roma, but didn’t get off the mark in Europe in his second season and might also have been moved on before their Champions League campaign kicks off in September.
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