Out of the 36 teams in the tournament, only players from three teams made it into this best XI.
After barely escaping elimination in the group stage and delivering a dominant performance in the final to claim the title, PSG’s dominance in the Champions League team of the year was expected—and it has come true. In the 2024-25 season of Europe’s top competition, seven PSG players have been named in the best XI!
Following PSG’s 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan at Munich’s Allianz Arena on Saturday night, UEFA announced the team of the year the next day.
PSG had been on the brink of elimination early on, losing three of their first five group stage matches and drawing one. But they bounced back with three consecutive wins to secure a place in the playoffs. From there, they crushed Brest, then knocked out Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Arsenal to reach the final. On the final stage, Luis Enrique’s side didn’t even give Inter a chance.
Leading the attack on this incredible journey was Usman Dembélé, who was named the tournament’s best player and naturally features in the best XI. He scored 8 goals and provided 6 assists across 15 matches.
Joining him upfront is another Frenchman, 19-year-old forward Dizier Doué. In the final, he scored twice and assisted once, breaking records and earning both the best player of the final and best emerging player awards. He finished the tournament with 5 goals and 5 assists.
In a somewhat unusual 4-2-4 formation, the other two forwards are Barcelona’s Brazilian Rafinha and young Spaniard Lamine Yamal. Although Barcelona lost a tight semifinal to Inter over two legs, both players impressed throughout the competition.
The midfielders include champions Vitinha from Portugal (PSG) and England’s Declan Rice from Arsenal.
In defense, three of the four players are from PSG: Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, Brazilian Marquinhos, and Portuguese Nuno Mendes. The fourth defender is Alessandro Bastoni of Inter Milan.
As expected, Italy’s 2020 Euro winner Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG) takes his place in goal.
The 2024-25 Champions League Team of the Year
- Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG)
- Defenders: Achraf Hakimi (PSG), Marquinhos (PSG), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan), Nuno Mendes (PSG)
- Midfielders: Vitinha (PSG), Declan Rice (Arsenal)
- Forwards: Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), Dizier Doué (PSG), Usman Dembélé (PSG), Rafinha (Barcelona)
