Our Champions League end-of-season awards for 2025/26 | OneFootball

Another spectacular UEFA Champions League campaign has come to a close, meaning it’s time to hand out our end-of-season award for 2025/26. 

Paris Saint-Germain retained their crown following a penalty shootout win over Arsenal in the final in Budapest, meaning the Gunners will have to wait at least another year to win the competition for the first time ever.

Our Champions League end-of-season awards for 2025/26:

Player of the Season – Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

When PSG needed him to step up the most this season, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia delivered. After the French club ambled through the league phase, the Georgian winger came alive in the knockout stage.

‘Kvaradona’ was sensational against Bayern Munich in the semi-finals, and though Arsenal kept him quiet for much of the final, he still won the penalty that sent the game to extra time.

The 25-year-old ended the campaign with the joint-most assists (6) and goal involvements (16).

Young Player of the Season – Lennart Karl

A star was born this season. Lennart Karl made a splash for Bayern Munich this year when handed an opportunity by Vincent Kompany.

The German attacker did not look out of place in the Champions League despite his age, becoming the youngest player in the competition’s history to score in three consecutive games at 17-years-old.

Karl, who turned 18 in February, finished the campaign with four goals and two assists in Europe, and another five goals and five assists in the Bundesliga. The young man has a bright future ahead of him.

Read – Our Champions League Team of the Season for 2025/26

Moment of the Season – Bodø/Glimt knock out Inter Milan

With the Champions League becoming an increasingly insular competition for the biggest clubs in Europe, it was heartwarming to see it can still deliver unexpected moments and shocks.

Bodø/Glimt’s run to the round of 16 was undoubtedly the story of the tournament. The Norwegian club is based in a small town with a population of around 53,000 people in the Arctic Circle, yet they somehow punch well above their weight.

They pulled off huge upsets over Manchester City and Atletico Madrid to book their place in the play-off round, where they eliminated last year’s runners-up Inter Milan. If Kjetil Knutsen’s side were perhaps a touch fortunate to win the home leg 3-1, they were fully deserving of the victory over both legs after winning 2-1 at the iconic San Siro.

This is the stuff dreams are made of.

Goal of the Season – Luis Diaz vs PSG

This might just be the best ever goal scored in the Champions League. The lobbed pass from Harry Kane is exquisite, the touch from Luis Diaz is outstanding, and the finish is absolutely perfect. This was street football at the very highest level of the sport.

Assist of the Season – Vinicius Jr to Kylian Mbappe vs Olympiacos

This was a chaotic season for Real Madrid off the pitch, but they still produced some beautiful football on it when their players took a break from feuding with each other.

Vinicius Junior unleashed Kylian Mbappe in behind the Olympiacos defence with a superb outside-of-the-boot pass from out wide. The timing and placement could not have been better, allowing Mbappe to slide the ball underneath the goalkeeper.

Match of the Season – PSG 5-4 Bayern Munich

For as good as PSG were, Bayern Munich were the great entertainers of the Champions League this year. So much so that they had two contenders for the competition’s best match.

Their battle with Real Madrid in the quarter-finals was breathtaking, but it was only overtaken by a classic encounter between PSG and Bayern in the semis.

The first leg featured nine goals, with neither side putting the handbrake on for 70 minutes. You could not look away as the best attacking talent in football went toe to toe with each other at the Parc des Princes.

It could go down as the greatest contest in Champions League history.

Howler of the Season – Antonin Kinsky vs Atletico Madrid

A mistake by a goalkeeper is often fatal. Spurs player Antonin Kinsky made two against Atletico Madrid that led directly to goals. And on his Champions League debut, too.

A slip from the Czech allowed Atletico to score the opener just five minutes into the round of 16 tie. His head was clearly gone, as he mishit the ball to gift Julian Alvarez a tap-in for the Spanish side’s third goal after 15 minutes.

Manager Igor Tudor put Kinsky out of his misery, immediately replacing him with Guglielmo Vicario to put an end to a nightmare performance.

Fortunately for Kinsky, he recovered from that horror to play a key part in Spurs’ successful survival bid in the Premier League.

Read – Champions League final 2026 in pictures as PSG beat Arsenal

Read – Arteta: Arsenal could ‘easily’ have had a penalty against PSG

Read More – PSG vs Arsenal: Past meetings and head-to-head record

See Also – Five of Arsenal’s best ever Champions League wins

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