Thanks in large part to Harry Kane and Michael Olise, Bayern’s offense remained consistently goal-hungry both domestically and internationally throughout the past season. This has now been recognized in the ESM Team of the Season 2025/26.
After no Bundesliga players were represented last year, FC Bayern’s strong season—which included winning the domestic double and reaching the Champions League semifinals—has earned two Munich players a spot on the ESM Team of the Season 2025/26. Harry Kane and Michael Olise were involved in 68 and 53 goals across all competitions, respectively, during Bayern’s record-breaking season.
A performance that has now also been recognized in the European Sports Media rankings: The Three Lions captain received by far the most votes, with a total of 64. His talented French teammate finished third in the voting with 36 votes. Despite another title-less season for Real Madrid, Kylian Mbappé (40) slipped in between the two Bayern players—while no player from Spanish champions FC Barcelona was honored. In total, only five clubs have a player in the Team of the Season.
Despite losing the CL final: Arsenal ahead of PSG
The two Champions League finalists account for the most nominations from a single club. In Budapest, Paris St. Germain and Arsenal gave each other no quarter; in the end, luck had to decide the outcome. In a penalty shootout (4-3 on penalties), the Parisians were crowned CL champions for the second time in a row.
Just as close as the Champions League final was the competition between the two teams for spots on the ESM Team of the Season—though this time with a slight edge for the Gunners. Arsenal conceded just seven goals throughout the entire Champions League season. With David Raya, William Saliba, Gabriel, and Declan Rice, the Premier League champions have the most players on the Team of the Season.
Champions League winners Paris St. Germain follow with three selections. The full-back duo of Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes, as well as playmaker and midfield maestro Vitinha, were honored by the ESM. The final spot in the 2025/26 Team of the Season goes to Erling Haaland, who once again claimed the title of top scorer in the world’s wealthiest league with 27 goals for Manchester City in the Premier League.