GFFN Awards | Ligue 1 Team of the Year: The Winners | OneFootball

Paris Saint-Germain have dominated Ligue 1 this season, wrapping up the title in early April and being in cruise control for much of 2025. Their dominance, naturally, is reflected in this year’s Get French Football News Ligue 1 Team of the Season, which includes eight PSG players.

To select the TOTS, your votes over the course of the past fortnight have been weighted 50/50 with the GFFN team’s picks, with the players selected into a 4-3-3 formation.

Goalkeeper – Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG)

Since his arrival on a free transfer from Milan in 2021, off the back of his Euro heroics with Italy, it has not been plain sailing throughout for Gianluigi Donnarumma at PSG. Thrown into a new environment, with serial-winning Champions League winner Keylor Navas as a rival, the 6 ft 5 in goalkeeper fell short of expectations, most notably with high-profile errors in the Champions League.

Now, Donnarumma has made Europe’s premier club competition the stage of his redemption arc, guiding PSG to their second-ever final. The Italy international is unequivocally the pivotal figure of PSG’s Champions League campaign.

He displayed his excellent penalty-stopping skills at Anfield before delivering man-of-the-match performances against Aston Villa and Arsenal, notably leaving Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard wondering how on Earth Donnarumma managed to get a hand on their attempts with his superhuman reflexes.

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta was adamant the Gunners would have marched on to Munich if not for Donnarumma. “When you look at the two games, who was their best player? The goalkeeper.”

If he prevents Inter from lifting the Champions League, the PSG goalkeeper could receive two unexpected gifts: a contract renewal and even the forgiveness of Milan fans. Despite a permanent scar on his right cheek, after being hit in the face by Monaco centre-back Wilfried Singo, Donnarumma’s PSG career has never looked better. Bastien Cheval

Left-back – Nuno Mendes (PSG)

Following his return from a long-term injury which saw him sidelined for most of the 2023-2024 season, Nuno Mendes has returned and reasserted himself as one of Europe’s best full-backs. His lightning pace in attack has ravaged teams in Europe this season, with the highlight of his season coming in the two legs against Aston Villa where he scored twice to help Les Parisiens progress on their journey to the final.

The Portuguese international has played 1,586 minutes in Ligue 1 this season, scoring twice from full-back. Yet in Europe, he added four goals and two assists. Under Luis Enrique, his average passing accuracy has increased up to 87%, recording 31 tackles and 79 ball recoveries in the Champions League this season. The frightening fact is that Mendes is still only 22 years old: his ceiling under Luis Enrique seems limitless.

Mendes would be one of the best full-backs in the world if it weren’t for his long absences due to injury and some costly mistakes. He lost concentration against Liverpool and Aston Villa and was run ragged by Bukayo Saka for large periods in the return leg against Arsenal. But PSG supporters and French football observers will forget all about that if they go on to lift the Champions League trophy against Inter Milan on 31st May. George Boxall

Centre-back – Willian Pacho (PSG)

While it’s a rejuvenated and free-scoring frontline that is stealing the show at Paris Saint-Germain this season, a newfound defensive stability has been just as crucial to their Treble push.

Since his arrival from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer, Willian Pacho has quietly but authoritatively established himself as one of Ligue 1’s standout defenders. The Ecuador international has emerged as an effective foil to Marquinhos, more so than the Parisians’ higher-profile defensive signings of past seasons, to the point of keeping Lucas Hernandez out of the starting eleven after the Frenchman’s return from injury.

While a few errors have blotted his copybook on the European stage – against Aston Villa most notably – the 23-year-old has been near-faultless domestically, barring some stray positioning at times. His dominant aerial presence and disarming ease in one-on-one duels have neutralised some of France’s finest counter-attackers, all the while contributing to build-up phases with an astute eye for a long pass. Raphaël Jucobin

Centre-back – Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille)

Long-gone are the days of Leonardo Balerdi’s struggles in the Provence region. The Marseille fan who went on a hunger strike in 2023 demanding for the Argentine’s departure can now rest easy… Balerdi was promoted to captain status by Roberto De Zerbi at the start of the season, and the defender has promptly repaid that faith in the 2024-2025 campaign.

Calmness and composure at the back has sometimes been missing this season from Marseille, but when Balerdi has started matches he has led and organised teammates – there is a noticeable difference and reliance on the former Dortmund prospect. Balerdi featured in 26 Ligue 1 matches, starting each one and accumulating over 2,100 minutes on the pitch.

The highlight is his renewed passing ability out from the back, which has become more obvious in De Zerbi’s expansive style: the Argentine has an impressive 94% pass completion rate. His role has been more evident with Marseille’s injury and suspension issues, which led to a backline that has chopped and changed at various junctures throughout the season. It was glaringly obvious: Marseille are more defensively solid when Balerdi is in the side.

If Les Olympiens qualified for the Champions League because of a good run of form at the tail-end of the season, it coincided with Balerdi’s return to form following injury. An outspoken yet level-headed leader off the pitch, he’ll be looking at Champions League football next season as an opportunity to build on this season’s relative success. GB

Right-back – Achraf Hakimi (PSG)

The Moroccan is one of the first names that comes to mind when you think of the consistent performers is this barn-storming PSG side that has reached the Champions League final. There is no argument that Achraf Hakimi is among the world’s best, if not the best current full-back. With the departure of Kylian Mbappé to Real Madrid last summer, Hakimi has also stepped up in the dressing room as one of the side’s leaders – often leading by example. This understandably amounted to him being named as PSG’s second captain behind Marquinhos.

But the highlight for the 2024 Olympics Bronze medalist has been his attacking output this season. Hakimi has recorded 21 goal contributions across all competitions, comprising seven goals and 14 assists, marking his most productive season to date. His crucial goal in the Champions League semi-final second-leg against Arsenal effectively fired Les Parisiens to a historic second-ever final. If it wasn’t for Ousmane Dembélé’s outstanding season in front of goal, Moroccan would be close to clinching the club’s player of the season award. Instead, Hakimi would settle for being named the best African player in Ligue 1 for the 2024–2025 season – but there is, of course, an even bigger prize on the line on 31st May for the Moroccan international. GB

Mifielder – Vitinha (PSG)

Few would have expected that when Vitinha arrived in Paris in 2022, fresh off a failed loan at Wolverhampton Wanderers that they would be looking at a player who would develop into the finest midfielder in Ligue 1.

Vitinha is the embodiment of this new look PSG, the player that encapsulates the very essence of why this squad feels special. He’s a player who has grown from being criticised on the pitch by Neymar Jr. and also reportedly by Lionel Messi, into someone who can orchestrate all the whirling parts of Luis Enrique’s fluid team.

It’s no surprise that his head coach has placed so much trust in his abilities, as Luis Enrique said in a press conference, “He is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world in his position. I can’t think of anyone better than him in midfield.”

It’s hard to find fault with Luis Enrique’s assessment, especially if Vitinha helps PSG to take the next step and win the Champions League against Internazionale. Last season, Luis Enrique named Vitinha PSG’s Player of the Season, and there are only a few midfielders in the world who are playing at the level Vitinha is currently performing at. Nicholas Hartland

Midfielder – João Neves (PSG)

Expectations were high for João Neves when he arrived in the French capital from his boyhood club Benfica in a big-money move. Despite only having a season and a half of professional football under his belt, the young midfielder had earned a reputation as one of the most promising players in world football.

It was a reputation that Neves quickly lived up to. There was no transition or teething stage for him as he was thrown into the PSG team from the start of the season and collected four assists in the first two games. Since then, Neves has only assisted five more goals, but his influence on the team has grown exponentially beyond this stat line.

It’s very easy to forget that Neves only turned 20 in September when you see him dominate the midfield. He plays as if he has a decade of experience propping him up, he knows exactly how to make Luis Enrique’s system tick, and when the team lose the ball, he is one of the first to pounce on the opposition to begin the counterpress.

This PSG team look to be a completely different beast from their past iterations, and it’s hard not to think that the introduction of Neves to the midfield has been a key reason for how this has been achieved, as Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Arsenal can all attest. NH

Midfielder – Andrey Santos (Strasbourg)

Andrey Santos’ move on loan to Strasbourg in January 2024 certainly raised eyebrows and even drew pretty fierce criticism. It was a move that came at the height of anti-BlueCo sentiment. It was difficult to see how Les Alsaciens would truly benefit from the move, and that was the fans’ contestation. The Brazilian had just come off a failed stint on loan at Nottingham Forest, was on international duty with the Brazil team, and would remain so for several weeks. It was highlighted that he would only be available for 13 games. But in his short stint in Alsace, he made an impression, and Strasbourg finished the season desperate to retain him, and they did.

Santos has kicked on this season under Liam Rosenior. Not only has he been a cheat-code out-of-possession, making the most tackles in Ligue 1 this season and the third most in Europe’s top five divisions, but he has also quickly established himself as a leader in the group, evidenced by Rosenior’s decision to hand him the armband on several occasions. His aggression has been crucial to RCSA’s out-of-possession approach, and he has also chipped in with goals, too, netting nine in Ligue 1.

Plenty of young stars have played a big role in Strasbourg’s achievement in ensuring European qualification for next season: Guéla Doué, Dilane Bakwa, Emanuel Emegha, and Diego Moreira, to name but a few. But there has been no one more important than Santos, who, in this youthful side, has shown a maturity beyond his years. He could be a real asset for Chelsea next season, should he be integrated into the first-team set-up, as expected. Luke Entwistle

Left-wing – Bradley Barcola (PSG)

Questions were raised at PSG following the departure of Kylian Mbappé as to how Luis Enrique’s team would fare in an attacking sense. With no senior additions to the forward line during the summer transfer window, Les Parisiens were reliant upon someone stepping up from within their ranks, and Bradley Barcola did just that.

The France international attacker burst out of the starting blocks like no one else in Ligue at the start of the season, with nine goals and two assists in his opening 10 appearances. While his output has dropped off since then and competition for places has increased with Désiré Doué’s increased status, Barcola’s early-season form has still proved pivotal in a Ligue 1 title-winning season for PSG. Since his impressive start in front of goal, the attacker has adopted a more creative role, and no player has registered more assists in the top flight.

It’s not just domestically where the former OL winger has been vital to the success of Luis Enrique’s side. With six goal contributions in the Champions League, Barcola has played a key role in what could be a treble-winning season for the Ligue 1 champions. This includes a goal and an assist against Manchester City, which helped Les Parisiens avoid an embarrassing early league phase knockout from the competition. Liam Wraith

Centre-forward – Ousmane Dembélé (PSG)

It was thought that Kylian Mbappé’s astonishing output at PSG would have to be replaced in the aggregate. When the France captain left Les Parisiens at the end of last season, he had just finished a campaign in which he netted 27 goals in Ligue 1, securing his sixth consecutive Golden Boot in Ligue 1.

Other players have stepped up, granted, especially Bradley Barcola at the start of the season, however, in terms of goals, this team has been carried by Ousmane Dembélé’s goalscoring exploits. It is a turn of events that no one expected. A destabilising winger, Dembélé, throughout his career, has always been derided for his lack of end product.

That changed definitively this year for Dembélé, who has reinvented himself as a clinical No.9. Playing centrally, the Frenchman has shown a completely different side to his game. His 21 goals heading into the final matchday should be enough to see him win the Golden Boot, but his form has also carried over into Europe. He has 33 goals in all competitions, including eight in the Champions League. An incredible 25 of those goals have come in 2025 alone.

He has helped PSG win their fourth consecutive Ligue 1 title, whilst goals against Liverpool and Arsenal have helped Les Parisiens advance to the final of the Champions League. Not that individual accolades should be linked to collective titles, but should PSG win their UCL final against Inter Milan, he would be the outstanding candidate to win the Ballon d’Or later this year. Arguably, he already is. LE

Right-wing – Rayan Cherki (Lyon)

A ‘breakout season’ is a term that is often overused in football, but using it to describe Rayan Cherki’s campaign at Lyon would be more than justified. The France U21 international has assumed the role of chief creator at Les Gones this season and is finally living up to his untapped potential.

Technically, the Frenchman is regarded as one of the best talents that the prestigious Meyzieu academy has produced. This prowess has been evident this season. Whether it be lightning-quick feet or a defence-splitting pass, Cherki has been transformed from a sporadic impact player to a crucial starter.

No player has created more big chances, domestically, than the 21-year-old and only his former teammate Bradley Barcola has registered more assists than him in Ligue 1. Creatively, there haven’t been many better than the OL academy graduate this term. This form has carried into Europe too, with Cherki breaking the record for the most assists in a Europa League campaign despite Lyon’s exit in the quarter-finals.

Cherki was often criticised for squandering goal-scoring opportunities or making the wrong decision in the final third. However, the attacking midfielder has shown a renewed confidence in front of goal and is currently setting his highest scoring season with 12 in all competitions.

Given his impressive breakout season and the gentleman’s agreement he has to leave the club, the playmaker could be destined for big things this summer. LW

The Bench

Djordje Petrovic (Strasbourg), Diego Moreira (Strasbourg), Bafodé Diakité (Lille), Guéla Doué (Strasbourg), Adrien Rabiot (Marseille), Malick Fofana (Lyon), Mika Biereth (Monaco), Désiré Doué (PSG), Maghnes Akliouche (Monaco)

GFFN’s Ligue 1 TOTY in full:

READ: Our list of winners of the 2024/25 GFFN Awards

GFFN | Luke Entwistle