Liga Portugal team of the season 2025-26 | OneFootball

It’s that time of the year again when we look back at the Portuguese football season as a whole and select our best XI from the Primeira Liga. Chief PortuGOAL football writers Tom Kundert and Matthew Marshall pick their Liga Portugal Team of Season 2025-26.

Tom Kundert’s Liga Portugal Team of Season 2025-26

Goalkeeper: Diogo Costa (Porto)

Back to his best, Diogo Costa was a vital component of Porto’s championship winning team. The Dragons were deserving winners of the league but rarely blew opponents away – 15 of their 28 victories in the Liga Portugal were by a single-goal margin. It was a watertight defence that got them over the line. Costa was not called into action as many times as most other goalkeepers in the league, but when he was, he pulled off a number of fantastic saves, in addition to being practically mistake-free all season, not to mention his superb distribution of the ball.

Right-back: Gaizka Larrazabal (Casa Pia)

In a poor season for the Lisbon minnows Spanish right-back Larrazabal maintained the excellent standard he has shown ever since joining Casa Pia three years ago. Seven goals and 4 assists throughout the season exemplify his attacking threat, which is even more impressive given the poor team around him.

Centre-back: Jan Bednarek (Porto)

He did not arrive in Portugal with the best of reputations after some less than convincing performances in England, but the Polish centre-back took to Portuguese football like a duck to water, completely dominating most opposition attacks. Bednarek was key in making Porto’s defence by far the toughest to break down (just 18 goals conceded in 34 Liga matches, six fewer than the next best defence), as well as proving to be an authoritative and inspirational leader.

Centre-back: Gonçalo Inácio (Sporting)

Another fine season for the best ball-playing centre-back in Portugal. With three championship-winning medals to his name and a staple in the Portuguese top flight for half a decade, it’s surprising to think the Seixal-born defender is still only 24 years of age. Should he keep up his current form, definitively locking down a spot in the national team is within his grasp.

Left-back: Maxi Araújo (Sporting)

A mixture of fierce competitiveness and technical proficiency typical of South American defenders, Maximiliano Araújo has taken his game to new heights this season. A tenacious defender, it is the Uruguayan’s attacking endeavours that has made him stand out (7 goals and 5 assists), along with his ability to always bring his A-game in the big matches.

Midfield: Morten Hjulmand (Sporting)

The Dane has enjoyed three magnificent seasons in Portugal, and has made a huge contribution to Sporting’s success in that time, which includes two league titles and the club’s deepest ever Champions League run. A dominant force in the middle of the park no matter who the opposition, the Sporting captain is expected to leave this summer and he will be tough to replace.

Midfield: Victor Froholdt (Porto)

Spectacular debut year for Porto, the Dane gets my vote for player of the season. Still a teenager when he signed last summer, Froholdt made himself the key component of an energetic midfield that overwhelmed the majority of teams throughout the title-winning campaign. An indefatigable presence across the pitch, he started brilliantly, had a slight dip in form in the middle of the season, but ended up playing his best football in the closing months a memorable 2025/26 for the Dragons, adding goals and assists to his game.

Midfielder: Gustavo Sá (Famalicão)

Still just 21 years old, the Famalicão captain continues to burnish his reputation as one of Portugal’s most promising midfielders. Physically imposing, his quick football brain and polished technique mark him out as a special talent, his performance in the 2-2 draw at Estádio do Dragão among the best individual displays by any player in Portugal this season.

Attacking midfielder: Rodrigo Zalazar (Braga)

Zalazar has improved year on year since signing for Braga. The 26-year-old attacking midfielder scored 23 goals and provided 8 assists in 52 matches for the Warriors, making it by far the most productive season of his career. A powerful ball carrier, he is almost impossible to stop when driving towards goal, either centrally or from wide right. Sporting have seen enough, setting a new domestic transfer record of 30 million euros to bring him to Alvalade.

Winger: Andreas Schjelderup (Benfica)

Signed by Benfica as a wonderkid back in 2022, the tricky Norwegian winger found it hard to establish himself at the Estádio da Luz, even spending a season back in Denmark at Nordsjaelland where he had first made his name. This term initially looked set to be another underwhelming one, but under José Mourinho’s guidance Schjelderup finally “exploded”, becoming arguably the most potent attacking force in the league from January onwards, also displaying his prodigious talent in the Champions League. Anatoliy Trubin may have grabbed the headlines but Schjelderup put in a dazzling performance in the famous 4-2 win over Real Madrid.

Striker: Luis Suárez (Sporting)

How do you follow in the footsteps of a striker who scored 97 goals in two seasons? It is no easy feat, but Colombian striker Luis Suárez did a fine job at making sure Sporting have not missed Viktor Gyökeres too much. The numbers speak for themselves: 37 goals and 7 assists in 52 games for the Lisbon outfit. But Suárez brought much more to the table than goals and assists, his tireless work rate and clever link-up play a big feature of the Lions under Rui Borges.

Matthew Marshall’s Liga Portugal Team of Season 2025-26

Goalkeeper: Diogo Costa (Porto)

Costa anchored Porto to the title by keeping 21 clean sheets and conceding just 15 goals. The captain leads from the back with elite shot-stopping ability and distribution.

Right-back: Rodrigo Pinheiro (Famalicão)

The right-back has been a big improver at Famalicão, one of the reasons they finished fifth and conceded just 29 goals.

Centre-back: Jan Bednarek (Porto)

Bednarek has been the standout centre-back this season, winning six Liga Portugal defender of the month awards. His elite defending was complimented with winning goals against Benfica, Nacional and Alverca.

Centre-back: Jakub Kiwior (Porto)

Porto lost four games this season, three of them with Kiwior on the bench and the fourth when he replaced Bednarek at half-time. Having signed from Arsenal on a deal until June 2030, the partnership with his Polish international will continue to flourish.

Left-back: Maxi Araújo (Sporting)

Araújo contributed to nine goals in Liga Portugal and was a key player in Sporting’s run to the Champions League quarter-finals. Easily the best left-back in Portugal.

Midfielder: Morten Hjulmand (Sporting)

Hjulmand had another strong season in the middle of the park for Sporting. Often lives on the edge but is going to be very hard to replace due to his technical ability, positioning, break up play and leadership.

Midfielder: Victor Froholdt (Porto)

Froholdt wasted no time in improving Porto’s midfield, the Dragons’ two defeats in Liga Portugal coming when he started on the bench. At 20-years-old, expect more improvement from the Dane.

Attacking midfielder: Ricardo Horta (Braga)

Horta was very consistent in a gruelling campaign for Braga, his injury early in the first leg against Freiburg severely hurting their chances in the Europa League semi-finals.

Attacking midfielder: Rodrigo Zalazar (Braga)

Zalazar went on an incredible run of form at the turn of the year before injury saw him limp to the finishing line. Got his big money move to Sporting CP for 30 million euros.

Striker: Luis Suárez (Sporting)

Had big boots to fill after replacing Viktor Gyökeres but did it in style. Scored a Liga Portugal high 28 goals, was a warrior up front and hardly missed a minute to highlight his durability.

Striker: Chuchu Ramírez (Nacional da Madeira)

A curious character, Chuchu Ramírez failed to impress in Guimarães but loves life in Madeira. Scored 18 goals which was 49% for a Nacional side that flirted with relegation, the Venezuelan single handedly keeping them in the division.