Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe joined forces at PSG trying to win the Champions League for the first time in club history. It seemed like a very possible task to complete playing in a roster full of stars such as Neymar, Sergio Ramos or Marquinhos.
However, in the 2022-2023 season, the French club had another early exit in the Round of 16 after being eliminated by Bayern Munich. In the end, Manchester City won the title and conquered the famous treble.
Now, after a thrilling final in Istanbul, UEFA has revealed the Team of the Season at the Champions League. Names like Erling Haaland and Vinicius Jr lead the way, but, there are some big surprises.
UEFA reveals 2022-2023 Champions League Team of the Season
As goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois of Real Madrid was a ‘lock’. Though Ederson was extraordinary for Manchester City, especially in the final against Inter, the Belgian star was sensational once again.
On defense, UEFA chose Federico Dimarco (Inter), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Ruben Dias (Manchester City) and Kyle Walker (Manchester City). Walker’s call is a bit controversial considering he only played as starter in the semifinals during the knockout stages. However, he was crucial to stop Vinicius Jr.
The midfielders are Rodri (Manchester City), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) and John Stones (Manchester City). It’s tough to argue here when Pep Guardiola’s squad was so dominant in this zone of the field.
In attack, Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City) and Erling Haaland (Manchester City) made the cut. Though those three players totally deserved it, it’s always surprising to have a Best Team of the Year without Lionel Messi or Kylian Mbappe. It happened this time.