Feel sorry for Three Lions skipper Harry Kane. The Bayern Munich forward has, on a personal front, had his best season in numbers. His 36 Bundesliga goals meant he was the runaway winner for this year’s European Golden Shoe in a season in which he averaged a goal per game. The Allianz Arena club’s trophy-less season dictates Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Kylian Mbappe Lottin have stolen the march on him in the race for this year’s Ballon D’Or.
A player’s club side must win his domestic division, the Uefa Champions League and his country ought to have a serious tilt at the European Championship, Copa America, Asian Cup or Africa Cup of Nations for him to win the beautiful game’s highest individual accolade. Kane is only left with Euro 2024 which commences in Germany to salvage his chances lifting the Ballon D’Or.
Real Madrid pair Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham are the new favourites to lift the prestigious accolade. This is not lost on Los Blancos fans who were chanting ‘Ballon D’Or, Ballon D’Or’ when Vini Jr was making his speech at the club’s victory parade for recapturing the Spanish Primera Liga title. Not sure if Real fans chose the winger over Bellingham due to what psychologists refer to as overcompensation for the racial spurs Vini has to endure at away venues every weekend.
The Brazilian’s numbers are almost identical to Bellingham’s. Both have netted 23 goals across all competitions and have 12 and 11 assists respectively. They’re also both blessed with the X-Factor. They’re hence the first names on my Uefa Champions League Best XI of the season. Vinicius Juniors two man of the match displays in Real Madrid’s 4-3 aggregate semifinal victory over Bayern Munich ensured he’s a shoo-in for this line up.
Borussia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels matched Vini Jr by gobbling up the official Uefa match VIP gongs in the Signal Iduna Park side’s 2-0 aggregate victory over Paris Saint Germain in the semis. The 35-year-old German is proof that the adage, ‘new brooms sweep well but old brooms know all the corners’ holds true even today. Hummels is in this line up alongside Antonio Rudiger who held together Real Madrid’s back four when they lost Thibaut Courtois, Eder Militao and David Alaba to injury.
Another Santiago Bernabeu based player, Andriy Lunin, takes the number one slot for his heroic shot stopping in the quarterfinal victory over ousted holders Manchester City and semifinal triumph over Bayern Munich. It’s a measure of Lunin’s growing stature that Thibaut Courtois, the hero of Paris 2022 is not guaranteed to start next Saturday’s final against Borussia Dortmund.
Lunin is joined in the back five by Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich whose all round display and goal were critical to eliminating Arsenal and Dortmund’s Ian Maatsen who has grown in leaps and bounds since swapping Stamford Bridge for Signal Iduna Park.
Bellingham has not been as pivotal in the later stages of the tournament as he was when he tore Napoli to shreds in the group stages but his numbers ensure he takes his place in midfield along with Dortmund’s Marcel Sabitzer, a leading protagonist in the counter-pressing that put paid to Paris Saint Germain’s trophy hopes. The pair is joined by Premier League footballer of the year Phil Foden whose four goals belie his strong influence on Manchester City’s campaign.
Kylian Mbappe Lottin’s nine goals and two official Uefa man of the match displays in Paris Saint Germain’s dismantling of Real Sociedad dictates he takes his place alongside Kane who is still tournament deputy top scorer and the one-man destruction crew that destroyed Lazio in the round of 16. Vinicius Junior, lest we forget, completes the Best XI.
Champions League Best XI
1- Andriy Lunin
2- Joshua Kimmich
3- Ian Maatsen
4- Antonio Rudiger
5- Mats Hummels
6- Marcel Sabitzer
7- Phil Foden
8- Jude Bellingham
9- Harry Kane
10- Kylian Mbappe Lottin
11- Vinicius Junior