This year's Champions League team of the season comes with a twist: only one player per club is allowed. While finalists Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal boast multiple candidates, this format offers a broader view of the competition's standout performers across Europe's elite.
Goalkeeper: David Raya (Arsenal)
Even as Arsenal lost the final on penalties to PSG in Budapest, Raya was heroic, saving a spot-kick from Nuno Mendes. His decision-making throughout the match matched his exemplary season. Raya finished the campaign with nine clean sheets, conceding just five goals in 14 matches. The last non-penalty goal beaten him was Robert Andrich's header for Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16.
Right-back: Pedro Porro (Tottenham)
Yes, a Spurs player made the cut. Tottenham managed fourth place in the group stage, and Porro's overlapping full-back skills were crucial. His performances have sparked rumors of a return to Manchester City, where he spent three years as part of their loan system.
Centre-back: Alessandro Bastoni (Inter)
Despite a red card in the playoff against Bosnia that hurt Italy's World Cup hopes, Bastoni remains his nation's best defender. Inter conceded just seven goals in the group stage, with Bastoni organizing the defense and acting as a deep-lying playmaker.
Centre-back: Odin Bjørtuft (Bodø/Glimt)
The Norwegian club from the Arctic Circle was the season's romantic story, beating Manchester City, Atlético Madrid, and Inter before losing heavily to Sporting in the last 16. Bjørtuft led a defense that laid the foundations, ranking third in ball recoveries with 81, behind only PSG's Mendes and Pacho.
Left-back: Matteo Ruggeri (Atlético Madrid)
Another Italian, Ruggeri represents the latest stage of Diego Simeone's dynasty. He assisted Alexander Sørloth's goal in a crucial quarter-final first-leg win at Barcelona, helping Atlético reach the semifinals for the first time since 2016-17. Ruggeri, a defender first and foremost, was tasked with marking Lamine Yamal and survived the encounter.
Defensive midfielder: Morten Hjulmand (Sporting)
Sporting finished in the top eight of the group stage among five English teams, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona. Their Danish captain was the fulcrum, though he was sorely missed in the quarter-final first leg against Arsenal. Hjulmand's poise and tenacity make him a likely summer transfer target.
Central midfielder: Aleix García (Bayer Leverkusen)
Leverkusen's run to the last 16 was a surprise in a disappointing European season for Bundesliga clubs. García, a former Manchester City youngster, completed 91.25% of his passes and scored a spectacular group-stage goal against PSG, leaving goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier flat-footed.
Central midfielder: Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool)
Liverpool's unhappy season saw few escape with credit, but Szoboszlai was an exception. There is talk of him ascending to club captaincy. He rattled in five goals in 12 Champions League matches and was star man when Liverpool smashed Galatasaray 4-0 at Anfield.
Left-wing: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG)
Left-wing was where many of the best players could be found, with Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé both wanting to play there. Kvaratskhelia's bewildering mix of orthodox wing play and explosive power places him above the rest, despite not being at his best in the final.
Right-wing: Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
Injuries slowed the progress of football's most exciting talent, but his shards of brilliance make him an inevitable choice. In a losing effort against Atlético in the quarter-final, Yamal pulled off skills beyond Messi and Ronaldo at their peak, including a spin beyond two defenders and a 50-yard diagonal to Marcus Rashford.
Striker: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
Mbappé outscored Kane's 14 goals by one, but Kane gets the nod for his creative edge. His keen understanding with Bayern's wingers, Michael Olise and Luis Díaz, has been key. Kane has totaled 61 goals for club this season, a worthy successor to Robert Lewandowski.
