Guler, Valverde and Llorente honoured at Champions League end-of-season awards

Three players with connections to Spanish football collected individual honours at the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League end-of-season awards, even as Real Madrid finished the campaign without a major trophy for the second consecutive year after a 6-4 aggregate quarter-final defeat.

Arda Guler was recognised as Revelation of the Season, an award for under-21 players that has replaced the former Young Player of the Tournament prize. The Turkish midfielder was central to Real Madrid’s European run, scoring a long-range effort after a Manuel Neuer error and adding a free-kick in Munich, while also contributing to the club’s Round of 16 victory over Manchester City.

Teammate Fede Valverde claimed Goal of the Tournament for his third strike in that same Manchester City tie — the goal that completed a hat-trick for the Uruguayan midfielder and stood as one of Real Madrid’s most complete individual performances of the season.

Atletico Madrid right-back Marcos Llorente was the sole La Liga representative in the Team of the Season, recognised for his tireless displays throughout the competition. He played a notable role in the quarter-final victory over Barcelona, contributing to Ademola Lookman’s winning goal. Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya, a Spanish international, was the only other Spain-connected player included in the side.

The broader awards picture was dominated by Paris Saint-Germain, who were crowned European champions for the second successive season — only the second club to achieve that feat in the Champions League era, after Real Madrid themselves. Kylian Mbappé finished as the competition’s top scorer with 15 goals, winning the award for the second time after sharing it with Harry Kane in 2024. PSG’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who scored 10 goals, was named tournament MVP, with Ousmane Dembele contributing eight.