Official: Two Barcelona players included in UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Team of the Season
Official: Two Barcelona players included in UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Team of the Season
As the season comes to an end, it is perhaps fair to deduce that Barcelona's Champions League campaign has been quite tragic, to say the least.
The Catalans were one of the best performers in the competition up until their semi-final clash against Inter Milan.
Advertisement
Barcelona didn't particularly play badly against Inter either, but lost out marginally due to various factors, including some shoddy refereeing.
Nonetheless, despite Barcelona's exit in the semifinal stage, the efforts of their players have not gone unnoticed this season.
Two Barça players in UCL TOTS
That is why two Barcelona players have been selected in the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Team of the Season – a lineup that often favours the winning team.
The two players in question are Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, forwards who have given their all this season and, unsurprisingly, qualify among the major candidates for the Ballon d'Or title this year.
Yamal and Raphinha play as wide attackers in the official TOTS, which features former Barcelona superstar Ousmane Dembele as the leading frontman alongside two of his PSG teammates in Desire Doue and Achraf Hakimi.
Advertisement
It is a slightly bizarre lineup that has only three proper defenders and five attackers, one of which is Hakimi.
Nevertheless, some key exclusions from the TOTS include Barcelona's midfield star Pedri and Borussia Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy, who ended the season as the joint-top scorer in the UCL alongside Raphinha.
Interestingly, Guirassy has been linked with a move to Barcelona earlier, though it appears the former Koln striker is not leaving Dortmund anytime soon.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Upturn
22 minutes ago
- Business Upturn
Lamine Yamal vs Ousmane Dembélé: Who will win the Ballon d'Or in 2025?
The race for the 2025 Ballon d'Or is heating up, with two standout stars, Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona and Ousmane Dembélé of Paris Saint-Germain, emerging as top contenders. As football fans eagerly await the ceremony on September 22, 2025, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, the debate intensifies: who will claim the most prestigious individual award in football? This article compares their performances, stats, and chances, diving into key factors like individual brilliance, team success, and decisive moments. Lamine Yamal: The Teenage Sensation At just 17, Lamine Yamal has taken the football world by storm. The Barcelona winger has dazzled with his creativity, dribbling, and consistency, making him a strong candidate for the 2025 Ballon d'Or. Here's why Yamal is in the conversation: 2024-25 Season Highlights Yamal played a pivotal role in Barcelona's domestic treble, securing La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Supercopa de España. Across 55 games, he contributed 18 goals and 25 assists, showcasing his flair and impact. Champions League Performance Despite Barcelona's exit in the semi-finals against Inter Milan, Yamal's performances were jaw-dropping. He completed 20 dribbles over two legs, scored once, and hit the woodwork three times, earning praise as potentially the best 17-year-old ever. Why He's a Contender His youth, combined with his starring role in major trophies and memorable moments against top teams like Inter, makes him a fan and jury favorite. If Barcelona had gone further in Europe, his case would be even stronger. Yamal's narrative as a rising star, often compared to legends like Lionel Messi, adds weight to his candidacy. However, the lack of a Champions League title and Barcelona's absence from the 2025 Club World Cup might hinder his chances. Ousmane Dembélé: The PSG Powerhouse Ousmane Dembélé, the 28-year-old French winger, has finally unlocked his potential at Paris Saint-Germain, positioning himself as the current favorite for the 2025 Ballon d'Or. Here's a breakdown of his case: 2024-25 Season Stats Dembélé has delivered 26 goals and 5 assists in 2025 alone, including two hat-tricks. His Champions League contributions are standout: a goal and assist against Arsenal, two assists versus Aston Villa, a crucial goal at Anfield against Liverpool, and five goals against Brest in the play-offs. Champions League Impact With PSG reaching the final and defeating Inter Milan 5-0, Dembélé's two assists and a brilliant back-heel to spark a goal showcased his leadership and clutch performance. A potential UCL win could seal his claim. Why He's a Contender Consistency, high goal output, and decisive moments in Europe's premier competition give him an edge. His Ligue 1 and potential Serie A winner's medals (from his time at Napoli earlier) bolster his trophy haul. Critics note that Ligue 1's perceived weaker competition might discount his stats, but his Champions League heroics make a compelling argument. What Decides the Ballon d'Or? The Ballon d'Or criteria focus on three pillars: individual brilliance, team achievements, and sportsmanship. Upcoming events like the Nations League and the Club World Cup (June 14-July 13, 2025) could also influence votes, especially if Yamal shines for Spain or Dembélé excels for PSG. Who Will Win? As of June 3, 2025, bookmakers favor Ousmane Dembélé, with odds around 2.63, slightly ahead of Lamine Yamal at 2.38. Dembélé's Champions League success and consistent output make him the frontrunner, especially if PSG's victory holds weight. However, Yamal's extraordinary talent at 17, combined with Barcelona's domestic dominance, keeps him in close contention. Some argue the award should reward year-long excellence, not just one final, giving Yamal a shot.
Bloomberg
29 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Israel's Gaza Attacks Spur European Leaders to Criticize Netanyahu
Some of Israel's most loyal supporters in Europe are increasingly speaking out against the war in Gaza, with several nations, including Germany, considering curbs on trade and arms sales. In recent weeks, the UK, Netherlands and France have started mulling such moves against Israel to help end the 20-month conflict, which has destroyed much of Gaza and sparked what international aid agencies say is a hunger crisis. Germany's pivot was the most surprising due to its historical position that protecting Israel is a post-Holocaust obligation.
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The Milky Way was on a collision course with a neighboring galaxy. Not anymore
More than a decade ago, scientists predicted our Milky Way galaxy and neighboring Andromeda would collide in four billion years, resulting in a 'makeover' of our solar system. Now, that is unlikely — at least within the expected timeframe. 'We see external galaxies often colliding and merging with other galaxies, sometimes producing the equivalent of cosmic fireworks when gas, driven to the center of the merger remnant, feeds a central black hole emitting an enormous amount of radiation, before irrevocably falling into the hole,' explained Durham University Professor Carlos Frenk. 'Until now we thought this was the fate that awaited our Milky Way galaxy,' he said in a statement. 'We now know that there is a very good chance that we may avoid that scary destiny.' Previous research from NASA astronomers had found that the collision with our closest neighbor galaxy would fling the sun to a new region of space, although the Earth would not be destroyed. The stars would be sent into different orbits. Right now, the galaxies are heading toward each other with a speed of approximately 62 miles per second. But, following 100,000 simulations of both galaxies based on the latest observational data from NASA's Hubble and the European Space Agency's Gaia space telescopes, the authors of the study that was published in the journal Nature Astronomy found just a 2 percent probability that the Milky Way and Andromeda would crash into each other over the course of the next five billion years. In more than half of the scenarios, the galaxies experienced at least one close encounter before they lost enough orbital energy to collide and merge. However, that would occur in some eight-to-10 billion years. By that time, the sun may have burnt itself out when it runs out of hydrogen, consuming the Earth. But, in most other cases, the galaxies pass each other by without incident, although there is room for uncertainty. Furthermore, the authors assert that previous research was not incorrect, but that they were able to incorporate more variables in their simulations. 'While some earlier works had focused on the interaction between the Milky Way, Andromeda, and the Triangulum galaxy, we also include the effect of the Large Magellanic Cloud,' lead author Dr. Till Sawala, of the University of Helsinki, said. The cloud is a dwarf galaxy that orbits the Milky Way. 'Although its mass is only around 15 percent of the Milky Way's, its gravitational pull directed perpendicular to the orbit with Andromeda perturbs the Milky Way's motion enough to significantly reduce the chance of a merger with the Andromeda galaxy.' However, the authors are already looking to update their findings with new data. The European Space Agency's Gaia space telescope will soon provide more precise measurements of crucial factors within the galaxies, including the motion of Andromeda. Still, Frenk said the results are a 'testimony' to the power of large supercomputers. 'When I see the results of our calculations, I am astonished that we are able to simulate with such precision the evolution of gigantic collections of stars over billions of years and figure out their ultimate fate,' he added.
