With the 2025/26 La Liga season behind us, it is time to take a look at The Hard Tackle’s Team of the Season.
The 2025/26 La Liga campaign will be remembered as one of the most dramatic chapters in recent Spanish football history. Barcelona emerged as champions for the 29th time, securing their second consecutive title with distinction.
The Catalan giants finished on 94 points, eight clear of Real Madrid, after a commanding 2-0 victory over their arch-rivals at Camp Nou on May 10. That Clasico triumph was not just any ordinary win; it was the match that mathematically sealed the league title with three games still remaining, and it came under emotionally charged circumstances for coach Hansi Flick, who had recently suffered a personal loss.
Real Madrid’s season was a tale of turbulence and ups and downs. They endured a rocky ride that ultimately saw them finishing second with 86 points. The defining moment came in January when Xabi Alonso departed the club after just seven months in charge.
Although officially described as a “mutual agreement,” multiple sources confirmed it was a dismissal following the Spanish Super Cup defeat to Barcelona and growing locker room discord. Alvaro Arbeloa, formerly of Castilla, was rushed in as a replacement, but the damage was already done.
Meanwhile, Flick’s Barcelona dominated with 31 wins from 38 matches, scoring 95 goals and becoming only the second coach after Pep Guardiola to win his first two home Clasicos at Barcelona.
But beyond all the narratives, 11 players captured the imagination and earned their rightful spots in the Team of the Season. Here is The Hard Tackle’s lineup, which will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Joan Garcia
Joan Garcia’s arrival at Barcelona from city rivals Espanyol for a mere €25 million has proven to be one of the smartest transfers in recent La Liga history. The Spaniard has been nothing short of sensational in his debut season at Camp Nou, establishing himself as the best goalkeeper in the league with numbers that speak for themselves.
Garcia recorded 15 clean sheets, the most in La Liga, while conceding just 21 goals in 30 matches, giving him an impressive average of 0.70 goals per match. What makes his achievement even more remarkable is his exceptional shot-stopping ability. With a save percentage of 77.9%, the highest in the league, he prevented an astonishing 10.2 goals above expectation, also the most in La Liga.
His agility and cat-like reflexes remind fans of Iker Casillas rather than the bigger beasts preferred in the Premier League. Garcia makes saves with all parts of his body, not just regular dives and punches, and is particularly adept at performing like a handball goalkeeper, spread-eagling into a star position.
His crucial interventions, including a stunning save in the Catalan derby where he pushed defender Gerard Martin straight at the ball to block Pere Milla’s rebound, demonstrate his ruthless mentality. By season’s end, Garcia had won the Zamora Trophy as the league’s best goalkeeper, and his value has already skyrocketed.
Santiago Mourino
Santiago Mourino’s debut campaign for Villarreal has been nothing short of extraordinary, marking him as one of the most exciting defensive talents to emerge in La Liga this season. The young right-back has been a revelation under Marcelino, establishing himself as an automatic choice with sheer defensive dominance that caught everyone’s attention.
What separated Mourino from his peers was his relentless tackling ability; he completed a staggering 102 tackles throughout the campaign, averaging 3.9 per 90 minutes, which was the highest rate in the league.
Beyond just raw defensive numbers, Mourino brought energy and consistency to Villarreal’s right flank throughout the 38-match grind. His ability to win the ball back repeatedly allowed the Yellow Submarine to build attacks from a solid defensive base, contributing significantly to their third-place finish and back-to-back Champions League qualification.
The Spanish right-back displayed remarkable stamina and positioning, never looking tired even in the final weeks when the top-four race was intensifying. At just 22 years old, Mourino has already announced himself as a player with international potential, and his emergence provides Villarreal with a homegrown talent they can build around for years to come.
Marc Pubill
Marc Pubill’s breakthrough season at Atletico Madrid has been a masterclass in defensive maturity beyond his years. The young defender, who was named as the runner-up for Rookie of the Season, displayed composure and reading of the game that belied his age. Working under Diego Simeone’s demanding system, Pubill adapted quickly to the physical and tactical rigors of La Liga, becoming an integral part of Atletico’s defense that kept them in the top-four race throughout the campaign.
What sets Pubill apart is his defensive awareness and intelligent positioning. He rarely gets caught out of position and demonstrates excellent spatial understanding, knowing exactly when to step up with the defensive line and when to hold his ground. Simeone, known for his demanding defensive standards, trusted Pubill with significant minutes, and the young defender never compromised on defensive intensity.
Atletico’s 13-match unbeaten run, the longest in the league, bore testament to a defensive unit that Pubill became crucial to. His ability to play out from the back while maintaining defensive solidity makes him a modern centre-back prototype, and his emergence gives Los Rojiblancos a bright defensive future.
David Hancko
David Hancko’s debut campaign in La Liga has been nothing short of sensational, cementing his status as one of Diego Simeone’s most versatile and reliable defenders at Atletico Madrid. Primarily deployed at centre-back, the Slovakian international brought pace, physicality, and exceptional reading of the game to a defense that needed stability during a turbulent season.
What set Hancko apart was not just his defensive solidity; winning crucial duels and making timely interceptions, but his surprising adaptability, as Simeone frequently threw him in at left-back when injuries or tactical shifts demanded it. This flexibility allowed the Colchoneros to maintain defensive cohesion even in challenging matches, and Hancko never missed a beat in either role, proving himself indispensable to Simeone’s system.
Beyond his positional versatility, the Slovak’s composure under pressure and ability to play out from the back fitted perfectly into Atletico’s evolving style under the Argentine manager. He rarely made reckless challenges, instead relying on intelligent positioning to break up opposition attacks before they became dangerous.
His clean defensive record and consistent performances earned him the trust of both Simeone and teammates, making him a cornerstone of Atletico Madrid’s backline despite the team’s inconsistent league form.
Carlos Romero
Carlos Romero’s season at Espanyol has been a remarkable individual success story amidst his team’s struggle for survival. The Villarreal loanee had quite an impressive campaign for the Catalan outfit, finishing with six goals and three assists in his 36 league outings, a stunning offensive contribution from a left-back.
While Espanyol struggled in the second half of the season, Romero did not do much wrong, consistently delivering performances that belied his team’s precarious position in the table. What makes Romero’s achievement even more impressive is the context in which he played.
Espanyol finished 11th with 46 points, narrowly avoiding relegation battles that consumed other teams. Despite the team’s inconsistencies, Romero was a constant bright spot, providing both defensive stability and attacking thrust down the left flank.
The fact that he maintained his level of performance even when Espanyol’s results dipped demonstrates remarkable mental strength and professionalism, making him one of the standout full-backs in La Liga this season.
Pedri
Pedri has played a pivotal role in Barcelona’s dominance under Hansi Flick. The Spanish international finished the season with an astonishing 80.4 accurate passes per 90 minutes, the most by any midfielder or forward in La Liga and second-highest overall in the entire league.
This remarkable passing accuracy was the engine that allowed Barcelona to control games and maintain their trademark possession-based style that seemed effortless despite the pressure. Beyond just passing statistics, the youngster’s creative influence was crucial to Barcelona’s attacking play.
He created 63 chances throughout the season, ranking eighth-highest in the league, demonstrating his ability to unlock defences with forward passes and through balls. The Spaniard’s role as Barcelona’s tempo-controller was evident in every match; he dictated the rhythm of play, knew when to accelerate attacks and when to slow the game down, and provided the creative spark that connected the Catalan outfit’s defence with their lethal attacking trio.
Pablo Fornals
Pablo Fornals has enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career with Real Betis, finishing with an incredible 15 goal contributions that significantly surpassed his expected goals plus expected assists (xG + xA) of just 9.8, demonstrating exceptional overperformance.
This overperformance of over 50% above expectation shows the Spaniard’s ability to create something from nothing and find moments of brilliance that statistics alone cannot capture. His contribution was crucial to Real Betis’s fifth-place finish and Champions League qualification after five consecutive seasons in European competition.
What made Fornals’s season truly special was his chance-creation ability; he generated an astonishing 85 chances throughout the campaign, the most in the entire La Liga. This number puts him ahead of many players who are traditionally considered primary creative forces, showcasing his role as Betis’ chief playmaker.
The Spanish midfielder’s versatility allowed him to operate in multiple midfield positions, but when deployed in an advanced role, his vision and passing range became extra sharp. His ability to thread precise through balls, deliver dangerous crosses, and arrive late in the box to score crucial goals made him Betis’ most important player. The season reaffirmed Fornals as one of La Liga’s most underrated midfielders.
Lamine Yamal
Lamine Yamal has been crowned Player of the Season by a distance, establishing himself as arguably the best player in La Liga and one of the most exciting young talents in world football. The 18-year-old Barcelona genius finished the season with eye-popping numbers: 11 assists (most in the league), 16 goals, and a total of 27 goal contributions (second-highest in the league).
Yamal’s creative output was unmatched; he created 26 big chances, the most in La Liga, showcasing his ability to put teammates in scoring positions consistently. Despite suffering triple-marking in many matches, missing playing with Raphinha for long chunks due to injury, playing through extreme groin pain, and enduring his first club-vs-country row, Yamal remained far and away the most important, decisive, and entertaining player for the league champions.
His generational talent is innate, exciting, and jaw-dropping, bringing joy to football in a way that transcends robotic analytics. Yamal has already shown glimpses of outright team leadership, and his performances earned him Player of the Month honours in November, December, and April.
Arda Guler
Arda Guler’s transformation this season has been nothing short of remarkable, as he has taken his game to the next level and becoming one of Real Madrid’s most important players despite a challenging start. The Turkish wonderkid was shifted into a deeper role and had limited minutes in the first half of the season, but had a great impact whenever he played, showing versatility and tactical adaptability.
Under Alvero Arbeloa’s guidance, Guler flourished in the second half of the campaign. He finished with nine assists (third-highest in the league) and created 70 chances (fifth in the league). What makes the Turkish wonderkid’s statistics even more impressive is his efficiency; he boasts the best chances per 90 minutes in the entire league at 3.1, demonstrating his ability to create maximum impact in limited playing time.
This efficiency rating shows that when Guler is on the pitch, he is constantly dangerous and productive. His breathtaking 89th-minute lob from deep in his own half against Elche in March was a contender for Goal of the Season, showcasing the audacity and technical quality that make him special. Such exploits have piqued the attention of several high-profile clubs, including Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool.
Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe has silenced any critics about his adaptation to La Liga by becoming the league’s top scorer with 25 goals, finishing as the season’s leading goalscorer and accumulating 30 total goal contributions (highest in the league). The French superstar played primarily as a striker but can slot in as a left winger, which is his preferred position, giving tactical flexibility to whatever system Real Madrid deployed.
His two hat-tricks and consistent goalscoring provided Real Madrid’s main attacking threat throughout a frustrating season for Los Blancos. Mbappe’s goalscoring prowess was recognised with Player of the Month honours in September and October, when he dominated La Liga’s attacking charts.
His 25 goals came from various situations, clinical finishes inside the box, powerful drives from distance, and well-taken solo efforts that showcased his world-class abilities. Despite Real Madrid finishing without any major trophy for the second consecutive year, Mbappe’s individual excellence was undeniable, and he won the Pichichi Trophy as the league’s top scorer.
Vedat Muriqi
Vedat Muriqi’s season has been one of the most heroic individual performances in a losing cause, finishing with 23 goals (second-highest in the league) despite his team’s eventual drop. While Mallorca ended up getting relegated, Muriqi did put in enormous effort to ensure his team stayed up, and his goal-scoring consistency kept them in the conversation until the final week.
The Kosovo international’s fearsome ability and fun personality made him one of the league’s most entertaining strikers. Muriqi’s 23 goals included a memorable hat-trick in January’s 3-2 win over Athletic Bilbao, one of the best single-game performances of the season.
His physical presence, aerial dominance, and clinical finishing made him a nightmare for defenders, and he consistently delivered goals even when Mallorca’s overall performance faltered. The fact that he ran top scorer Kylian Mbappe close with 23 goals despite playing for a relegation-bound team speaks volumes about his quality and determination.