European team of the season: Mbappé, Bellingham, star Kane


Each week, we will introduce you to the best players from Europe's top five leagues (English Premier League, German Bundesliga, Spanish LaLiga, French Ligue 1 and Italian Serie A) using the exclusive WhoScored ranking system.

Ratings are based on a comprehensive algorithm using Opta data during live matches, with over 200 raw statistics, giving us a single rating from 1 to 10 (1 is bad; 10 is great) weighted by influence of a player within a game.

Learn more about how ratings are calculated on WhoScored here. Here are the best players of the entire season.

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Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG | Ligue 1) – 7.14

PSG conceded just 33 league goals this season and Donnarumma made 3.7 saves per 90 minutes in 2023-24. The Italian international also kept a clean sheet in 10 of his 25 matches.

Right back: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich | Bundesliga) – 7.13

Injuries caused Kimmich (who is usually a midfielder) to shine as a right back in the final months of the season. While Bayern were unable to defend their Bundesliga crown, Kimmich impressed with the ball, returning a success rate of 91.3% with 81.7 passes per 90.

Central defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool | Premier League) – 7.15

Van Dijk was imperious at the heart of Liverpool's defense this season. The Reds could only see off coach Jürgen Klopp with a Carabao Cup winner's medal in the German's final campaign at Anfield, but Van Dijk stood out and had the best success rate in aerial challenges (81.4%) in the Premier League. League.

Central defender: Alessandro Buongiorno (Torino | Serie A) – 7.14

Torino boasted the fourth-best defensive record in Serie A this season, with Buongiorno excelling without the ball. The defender had the third-best tackle success rate (87.5%) in Italy's top flight and made more interceptions (69) than any other player in the division.

Left back: Álex Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen | Bundesliga) – 7.58

Has Grimaldo been the biggest free signing in Bundesliga history? The winger is one of seven players to have recorded double figures in goals (10) and assists (13) in Europe's five main leagues, with the latter being the second best return. The 28-year-old also ranked first in key passes by defenders (78).

Right midfield: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal | Premier League) – 7.67

Saka enjoyed his most prolific campaign to date and finished it with 16 league goals to his name. The Arsenal winger also dished out an additional nine assists, coming from 91 key passes, ranking him sixth in Europe's top five leagues this season.

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Jude Bellingham: Real Madrid's scoring sensation

Check out the best moments that propelled Jude Bellingham to retain the top spot among ESPN FC's Best Under-21 Men's Players.

Central midfielder: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid | La Liga) – 7.81

Following his €103 million summer transfer from Dortmund, Bellingham took to the rigors of LaLiga like a duck to water. The Real Madrid midfielder finished the season with 19 goals and six assists, while only Lucas Ocampos (33) won possession in the attacking third more than the 20-year-old (29) in the Spanish top flight.

Central midfield: Rodri (Manchester City | Premier League) – 7.62

Rodri, Manchester City's heartbeat in midfield, was magnificent again as he won the Premier League title. He made more accurate passes (3,359) than any other player in England's top flight and won possession in midfield three times more (132) than any other player.

Left midfield: Kylian Mbappé (PSG | Ligue 1) – 7.71

Mbappé will leave PSG on a free transfer this summer and will do so after a campaign in which he scored 27 goals and provided an additional seven assists. The 25-year-old had more shots (120) than any other player in Ligue 1 this season.

Forward: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich | Bundesliga) – 7.82

While he was unable to lead Bayern Munich to Bundesliga glory thanks to Bayer Leverkusen's promotion, Kane enjoyed an excellent debut season in Germany. The England forward scored more goals (36) and took more shots (146) than any other player in the top five European leagues this season. He also added eight assists and was directly involved in 46.8% of Bayern's league goals.

Forward: Serhou Guirassy (VfB Stuttgart | Bundesliga) – 7.73

Guirassy, ​​star of VfB Stuttgart's memorable campaign, scored 28 league goals to help them finish second in the Bundesliga. The Guinean striker was consistent in front of goal for Sebastian Hoeness' team and achieved a better conversion rate (30.4%) on his shots than any other player in Germany.

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