UEFA Champions League team of the season 2024/25 - Five PSG stars, one lonely Premier League pick, plus Lamine Yamal, of course
Updated 02/06/2025 at 14:40 GMT+1
The UEFA Champions League is all done and dusted with French giants Paris Saint-Germain crowned champions for the first time in their history after an incredible final that saw them dismantle Inter Milan 5-0. With the final out the way, that means that it is time to look at the Team of the Season. We have gone through and picked our line-up, plus a manager, with five players making it from PSG.
Highlights: Rampant PSG hit Inter for five in Champions League final
Video credit: TNT Sports
Picking a team of the season in any sport or competition is ultimately a fruitless task. You will never please everyone - or, indeed, anyone. Every fan has their own opinion, which is the beauty of sport, and you will probably be accused of bias or ignorance either way...
Ultimately, the easiest thing to do here would be to just pick the 11 starters from the UEFA Champions League winners. But we like a challenge, so we're not doing that and will have a crack at putting a (gloriously divisive) XI together after the tournament concluded with PSG’s incredible 5-0 win over Inter Milan.
We are picking a 4-3-3 formation, as it is one of the most popular in Europe right now, plus the system that the champions themselves won with. We will get to the manager at the end (although it probably won’t surprise you), and will also be taking a little help from TNT Sports pundits Ally McCoist and Rio Ferdinand, who had a crack at picking their team on Saturday before the final.
Goalkeeper: Yann Sommer (Inter)
No one kept more clean sheets in the competition than Yann Sommer and there is a pretty good argument to be made that no player had a bigger role in his team reaching the final than the Swiss stopper after his truly heroic performance against Barcelona in the semi-finals. A goalkeeping display perhaps only bettered by Alisson's against PSG.
Right-back: Achraf Hakimi (PSG)
Federico Valverde filled in admirably for Dani Carvajal at Real Madrid, but realistically, this one is a no-brainer. No defender provided more than his five assists or created more chances (36) and he provided four goals on top of that, including, of course, the opener in the final.
Hakimi is one of the best right-backs in the world and he was excellent throughout PSG’s Champions League campaign.
"I think he’s been one of the players of the tournament," said McCoist of the Moroccan.
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‘Casual!’ – Hakimi gives PSG the lead against Inter
Video credit: TNT Sports
Centre-back: Marquinhos (PSG)
PSG’s captain is the first centre-back here. Marquinhos has stuck with PSG through the ups and downs since his arrival in 2013 and he got his just reward on Saturday with the Champions League trophy.
Marquinhos made more clearances and blocks than any other player in the Champions League this season and amongst defenders, no player completed more passes.
More than anything, though, it is the intangibles with Marquinhos. He is the glue of that dressing room, he is the one who keeps it all together.
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'Incredible moment of glory' - Marquinhos and PSG team-mates react after historic UCL win
Video credit: TNT Sports
Centre-back: Inigo Martinez (Barcelona)
You could have absolutely gone with Willian Pacho here or even Alessandro Bastoni, and perhaps we are putting too much stock in the final, but we have chosen Inigo Martinez, who has really bounced back after some rocky periods at Barcelona.
Pau Cubarsi may take all the headlines, but it is Inigo who has marshalled that young Barcelona backline, and it is Inigo who has stepped up in the big moments.
Left-back: Nuno Mendes (PSG)
Whilst Mendes has been regularly outshone by Hakimi, he has still been excellent in his own right. He also scored four goals this season in Europe, an admirable return for a defender. In fact, no defender has scored more than the four that both Mendes and Hakimi ended up with.
There are not a lot of great left-backs out there right now, but Mendes is right up there and his performances over the two legs against Liverpool were as good as anyone. No defender this season won more duels or more tackles than Mendes.
"What he did to Salah... he got no change out of him over two games and I’ve not seen anyone else do that," said Ferdinand.
McCoist agreed: "I could not believe it."
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Mendes completes ‘hat-trick of fantastic goals’ as PSG put gloss on sublime display
Video credit: TNT Sports
Centre-midfield: Pedri (Barcelona)
There’s an argument to be made that Pedri is the best midfielder in the world right now and clearly playing deeper in midfield rather than as a 10 has allowed him to have a level of influence over a match that we haven’t seen from him before.
He has also greatly evolved the defensive side of his game and despite his short stature, he truly is the complete midfielder.
Centre-midfield: Vitinha (PSG)
Vitinha was the conductor of the PSG orchestra, he was the one who made them tick. Sitting as the central player of the three, it seemed as if he was everywhere this season, putting out fires before they started and then getting the ball rolling again on the counter.
No midfielder completed more passes or had more touches than Vitinha in the final. His pre-assist for the first goal and incredible movement for the third goal are the perfect embodiments of what makes him so special.
"He’s been amazing, just brilliant, what a turnaround in a player," said McCoist. "Not long ago we were looking at him at Wolves and it’s just absolutely remarkable."
Ferdinand hailed the Portuguese star as the "nearest thing I’ve seen to [Luka] Modric."
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Watch the incredible movement of Vitinha for PSG third
Video credit: TNT Sports
Centre-midfield: Declan Rice (Arsenal)
This last spot was really tough. Joao Neves was magnificent this season, but ultimately we have plumped for Rice, who was key in Arsenal taking the next step in Europe.
Yes, they did not win the competition, but for the first time in what feels like years, Arsenal were a real player on the European stage and Rice was at the heart of that. He was brilliant this season, peaking in that unforgettable tie against Real Madrid - displays that went far beyond his two free-kicks at the Emirates.
"I thought his level of performance at the Bernabeu was magnificent," McCoist said of Rice.
Ferdinand added: "He was dominant, there was a subplot of the game of Jude Bellingham versus Declan and he came out on top."
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Highlights: Rice magic as Arsenal stun Real Madrid on famous night
Video credit: TNT Sports
Right-wing: Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
Yamal may have only ended up with five goals and three assists in the Champions League this season, but he put together a campaign full of astonishing moments that feel as if they are something you will still remember decades from now.
At just 17, Yamal has already established himself as one of the best players in the world and it seems clear that no stage is too big for him.
"That moment [against Inter], in 20 years we’ll be sitting and talking about it," Ferdinand said about his mesemerising solo goal in the semi-finals.
McCoist added: "I’ve never sat in a game and been in so much awe of somebody’s performance. That was the best 45 minutes I’ve seen from an individual, maybe anywhere this season."
Shout-out to Desire Doue, who was incredible in the final, for missing out here.
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Highlights: Yamal stars as Barca and Inter play out six-goal thriller
Video credit: TNT Sports
Striker: Ousmane Dembele (PSG)
The rise of Ousmane Dembele has been an utter joy to watch and it warms the heart to watch him play with such freedom and enjoyment.
He registered eight goals this season, which may not be as many as players like Serhou Guirassy, Harry Kane and Robert Lewandowski, but the way he leads from the front with the PSG press means he gets in. He also contributed with six assists.
"I think he’s actually enjoying the responsibility that he possibly never had earlier on in his career. He’s enjoying that he’s the main man now," said McCoist.
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Highlights: Dembele winner sees PSG overcome Arsenal in first leg
Video credit: TNT Sports
Left-wing: Raphinha (Barcelona)
Perhaps if Khvicha Kvaratskhelia had played the entire season at PSG, this might have been a conversation, but in the end, Raphinha wins out.
He finished as both the highest scorer and the highest assister, with a combined goals and assists tally of 22. There is a clear theme on this list of players reinventing themselves and no one embodies it more than Raphinha.
There is a reason he’s getting serious Ballon d’Or hype.
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Highlights: Raphinha magic inspires 10-man Barca to win over Benfica
Video credit: TNT Sports
Manager: Luis Enrique (PSG)
It has to be Lucho. Not only has he delivered PSG their first-ever Champions League trophy, he has managed to do so while completely reshaping the playing squad and indeed the entire club.
For so long, the PSG "project" was almost an afterthought. It was so inconsistent. But Enrique has taken them to the highest level, and as my colleague Ibrahim Mustapha wrote on Saturday from Munich, they are now set up for a period of dominance.
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PSG fans pay tribute to Luis Enrique's daughter with incredible tifo
Video credit: TNT Sports
All stats via UEFA.com and Opta
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