PSG Tighten European Grip As Five Stars Make UEFA Best XI
Paris Saint-Germain winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has been named the UEFA Champions League Player of the Season for the 2025/26 campaign, capping a remarkable European season in which the Georgian international helped the French champions retain their continental crown and reshape the balance of power in European football.
The announcement, made by UEFA’s Technical Observer Group, recognises a body of work that combined consistent goal contribution, relentless physical output, and decisive influence in the competition’s most demanding fixtures.
Kvaratskhelia ended the tournament with 10 goals and six assists in 16 appearances, statistics that reflect both his creative reach and clinical finishing across PSG’s title defence. According to UEFA’s match data, he covered 124.17 kilometres during the campaign and clocked a top speed of 33.7 km/h, figures that underscore the physical intensity of his contribution under manager Luis Enrique.
The 25 year old’s defining moments came in the latter stages of the competition. In the final against Arsenal, he won the penalty that allowed Ousmane Dembélé to equalise, after being brought down by Spanish defender Cristhian Mosquera. Earlier, in the first leg of the semi finals, Kvaratskhelia scored twice in PSG’s dramatic 5–4 victory over Bayern Munich, including a curling effort and a powerful second half strike that ultimately proved pivotal across the tie.
His recognition follows a roll call of recent winners that includes Ousmane Dembélé (2024/25), Vinícius Júnior (2023/24), Rodri (2022/23) and Karim Benzema (2021/22), placing Kvaratskhelia firmly within an emerging generation of European football’s defining talents.
Real Madrid midfielder Arda Güler claimed the newly introduced Revelation of the Season award, which replaces UEFA’s longstanding Young Player of the Season honour and is designed to celebrate emerging players who break through during a single campaign.
Güler’s progression illustrated the scale of his transformation. Having made just one start and played 142 minutes in the previous edition, the 21 year old Turkish international started 13 matches and featured in 14 overall appearances in 2025/26, amassing 1,030 minutes on the pitch. He finished the campaign with two goals and four assists, both goals arriving in Real Madrid’s quarter final second leg against Bayern Munich. His standout individual performance came in the league phase against Juventus, where he was named Player of the Match for his composure and creative control in midfield.
Kylian Mbappé, also of Real Madrid, was confirmed as the competition’s top scorer with 15 goals, reinforcing his status as one of European football’s most prolific forwards.
PSG dominated UEFA’s Team of the Season, contributing five players to the Best XI. The selection features Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya in goal; a back four of Marcos Llorente (Atlético de Madrid), Marquinhos (PSG), Gabriel (Arsenal) and Nuno Mendes (PSG); a midfield of Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Vitinha (PSG) and Kvaratskhelia; with Dembélé and Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) leading the attack.
The 2025/26 awards underline PSG’s continued grip on European football and signal a generational shift, with Kvaratskhelia, Güler and Mbappé now firmly central to the competition’s narrative.