Lamine Yamal, David Raya, Pau Cubarsí and Rodri have been selected in the FIFPro ideal team for the 2025-2026 season. The selection was made through a vote of more than 26,000 professional footballers from 75 different countries around the world.
Spanish football has reason to celebrate. Four of its representatives have secured a place in the best team of the year, announced by FIFPro. They are goalkeeper David Raya, defender Pau Cubarsí, midfielder Rodri and Barcelona talent Lamine Yamal.
Compared with the previous edition, the number of Spaniards in this team has increased by two players. In the previous selection there were only Pedri and Lamine Yamal, while this time Spanish players have broader representation, thanks to their performances at club and national team level.
One of the names that stood out in the vote was David Raya, who received 51.9% of the votes, ranking ahead of Kylian Mbappé, who got 46%. The Arsenal goalkeeper was rewarded for his excellent performances and the success achieved in the Premier League.
Among the attacking players, Lamine Yamal was also among the most-voted, with 37.4%. He was followed by Lionel Messi with 29.5% and Erling Haaland with 28.4%. Harry Kane, despite competition for a place in the attack, was left out of the team after receiving only 27.6% of the votes.
The final team consists of David Raya in goal, Achraf Hakimi, Pau Cubarsí and Nuno Mendes in defence. Midfield has been entrusted to Jude Bellingham, Rodri and Vitinha, while the attacking line includes Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi.
Among the surprises of this selection was the absence of Unai Simón, previously rated the best goalkeeper of the year by UEFA, as well as that of Fabián Ruiz. Ousmane Dembélé, who had been part of the starting XI in the previous edition, also remained out of the team.
Meanwhile, the team of the previous season included names such as Gianluigi Donnarumma, Virgil van Dijk, Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham and Pedri, while in attack were Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé.
The vote for the 2025-2026 edition included footballers who were active in the period from 4 August 2025 to 19 July 2026. More than 26,000 professionals had the opportunity to choose the players who, in their view, deserved to be part of the best team of the season.
FIFPro ideal team for the 2025-2026 season:
