The official UEFA Champions League Team of the Season for the 2023/2024 campaign has been announced, and it features a notable and complete absence of players from the competition’s most successful club, Real Madrid.
Despite winning a record-extending 15th European Cup by defeating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the final at Wembley on June 1, 2024, not a single Real Madrid player was selected in the best XI. The team, chosen by UEFA’s technical observer panel, is instead dominated by stars from the other finalists and semi-finalists.
Borussia Dortmund, the runners-up, have two representatives: defender Mats Hummels and midfielder Marcel Sabitzer. Bayern Munich, eliminated by Real in the semi-finals, also placed two players: striker Harry Kane and midfielder Jamal Musiala.
Paris Saint-Germain, beaten by Dortmund in the last four, contributed three players to the lineup. These are goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, defender Marquinhos, and forward Kylian Mbappé.
The remaining spots were filled by players from clubs that exited in the quarter-finals. Arsenal are represented by defender William Saliba, Manchester City by midfielder Phil Foden, and Atlético Madrid by midfielder Rodri de Paul.
Barcelona, knocked out by PSG in the quarter-finals, have a solitary representative in the team: midfielder İlkay Gündoğan.
The selection has sparked widespread debate, given Real Madrid’s ultimate triumph. The oversight underscores the panel’s focus on individual performances throughout the entire tournament, rather than solely on the outcome of the final. The complete omission of the champions’ squad marks a rare occurrence in the history of the seasonal awards.
