Nicolás Otamendi all smiles alongside Benfica legends | OneFootball

Nicolás Otamendi has reasons to smile in recent days on an individual level. The captain of Benfica is nominated for a spot in the team of the year, following the great season he had in 2024725. On the same list, the Argentine counts two rivals and several names well-known to the Reds and Portuguese football.

As reported, the number 30 of the Clube da Luz appears on an extensive list competing for a spot in the eleven that will be revealed at The Best gala, organized by FIFA. Besides Nico Otamendi, Portuguese football is also represented by another athlete playing in the Liga Portugal Betclic, in this case, Diogo Costa, Porto's goalkeeper.

In addition to the rival from the blue and whites, the captain of Benfica - who gave a guarantee after the game with Leverkusen - also counts with the presence of Viktor Gyokeres, a forward who switched from Sporting to Arsenal in the summer. On the same list, there are also some names that shone with the Sacred Mantle.

In competition with the Argentine defender, FIFA also nominated Manchester City's center-back, Rúben Dias. In the midfield sector, the world football governing body has among the nominees two athletes trained at Seixal: João Neves, shining at PSG, and Bernardo Silva, a key player for Pep Guardiola at the citizens.

In the 2025/26 season, only with Benfica's jersey, Nicolás Otamendi – valued at 1 million euros – has played 20 matches: 10 in Liga Portugal Betclic, eight in the Champions League, one in the League Cup, and another in the Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup. In the 1,800 minutes he was on the pitch, the center-back scored two goals.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.