The European football governing body, UEFA has released the 2022 UEFA Champions League team of the season and expectedly, career rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi did not make it into the team.
Recall that Ronaldo, 37, could not help Manchester United to go beyond the round of 16 stage of the competition. Similarly, Messi, 34, couldn’t help Paris Saint Germain to go beyond the round of 16 stage.
Surprisingly, Liverpool’s duo, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah couldn’t also make it into the 2022 UEFA Champions League team of the season despite helping Liverpool to reach the final of the Champions League in Paris. Recall that they lost the final to Real Madrid by just a goal.
Vinicius Junior who scored the Champions League-winning goal against Liverpool on May 28, 2022, did not only make the 2022 UEFA Champions League Team of the Season, he was named the best young player of the tournament this season.
In the 2022 UEFA Champions League Team of the Season, the winners of the tournament, Real Madrid have four players. The runner-up, Liverpool also have four players on the team.
While Chelsea, Manchester City, and Paris Saint Germain have a player each in the star-studded team.
Below is the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League Team of the Season according to UEFA:
- Thibaut Courtois (Goalkeeper) Real Madrid
Thibaut Courtois was arguably the best goalkeeper in this season’s UEFA Champions League campaign. Courtois was so good in the tournament that he won the man of the match award after the Champions League final.
- Trent Alexander-Arnold (right-back) Liverpool
Trent Alexander-Arnold was arguably the best right-back in the tournament. The 23-year-old English right-back helped Liverpool to get to the final but could not help the club to win the tournament.
- Virgil van Dijk (center back) Liverpool
Liverpool defender, Virgil van Dijk was fully involved in Liverpool’s Champions League campaign this season. He helped the club to get to the Champions League final but could not help the club to win the title.
- Antonio Rudiger (Center-back) Chelsea
Chelsea defender, Antonio Rudiger was arguably the best player in the Premier League club during the campaign this season. But his charismatic defending only helped Chelsea to get to the quarter-final stage of the competition.
- Andy Robertson (left-back) Liverpool
Andy Robertson broke into Liverpool’s squad fully this season and was instrumental in ensuring that Liverpool got to the final of the Champions League.
- Luka Modric (midfielder) Real Madrid
Luka Modric was arguably the best midfielder in the Champions League campaign this season. He was instrumental in ensuring that Real Madrid won the title.
- Fabinho (midfielder) Liverpool
Fabinho was a very important player for Liverpool in the Champions League campaign this season. But his role was not enough to help the club win the title.
- Kevin de Bruyne (midfielder) Manchester City
Kevin de Bruyne was instrumental in ensuring that Manchester City got to the semi-final stage of the Champions League campaign. But his effort was not enough to help City get to the final.
- Kylian Mbappe (Forward) PSG
Kylian Mbappe was the best player in star-studded Paris Saint Germain. Despite how good he was in the tournament, he could not singlehandedly lead PSG beyond the round of 16, thanks to Real Madrid’s miraculous run in the knock-out stages.
- Vinicius Junior (Forward) Real Madrid
Vinicius Junior was the brightest youngster in this season’s UEFA Champions League campaign. No wonder UEFA named him the best youngster in the tournament. He was instrumental in helping Real Madrid to win the Champions League.
- Karim Benzema (Forward) Real Madrid
Karim Benzema was unstoppable in the 2021-2022 UEFA Champions League campaign, especially in the knockout stage in which he scored a hat-trick against PSG, Chelsea, and Manchester City to push Real Madrid to the final of the tournament and helped them to win it.
👕 UEFA’s Technical Observer panel has selected its 2021/22 UEFA Champions League Team of the Season 🙌#UCL pic.twitter.com/I8t9T6uM5R
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 31, 2022
