The best players in La Liga this season are building legacies that go beyond Spain's top-flight.
With the first half of the 2024–25 La Liga season done and dusted, the top players in the league have shined week in and week out over the last five months. The battle atop the La Liga standings is closer than ever, with Spanish giants Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid all within three points of one another. Each team has its fair share of superstars, but there are also stars emerging throughout the league that deserve recognition for their strong starts to the season.
Check out SI Soccer's La Liga Team of the Season so far.
La Liga Team of the Season So Far (4-2-3-1)
GK: Álex Remiro (Real Sociedad)
In a league with Thibaut Courtois and Jan Oblak, it is Real Sociedad's Álex Remiro who has the most clean sheets in La Liga this season. The 29-year-old has kept 10 clean sheets in 18 La Liga appearances, including one against Barcelona, something only one other goalkeeper in Spain's top-flight has managed.
RB: Jules Koundé (Barcelona)
Ever since Dani Carvajal suffered a season-ending ACL injury, Jules Koundé has been the all-but unanimous best right back in La Liga. The Frenchman has started 17 of 19 La Liga matches for Barcelona and bagged one goal and three assists along the way.
Although Barcelona's form has taken a nosedive over the last two months, Koundé remains one of Hansi Flick's most trusted players.
CB: Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid)
There is arguably no other defender in La Liga that has had a tougher task than Antonio Rüdiger. The Germany international has had to lead Real Madrid's backline without David Alaba, Éder Militão, Dani Carvajal and at times, Ferland Mendy.
Instead, Rüdiger has played alongside Raúl Asencio, a Real Madrid Castilla player who had never made a first-team appearance, and Aurélien Tchouaméni, a natural midfielder. Fede Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, Lucas Vázquez and Fran García have also all rotated at fullback. Among the chaos and changes, Rüdiger proved to be a brick wall in defense.
CB: Dani Vivian (Athletic Bilbao)
Athletic Bilbao would not be in fourth place of La Liga without the defensive efforts of Dani Vivian. The center back is almost always playing 90 minutes and helping his side hold opponents to just one goal. In fact, Athletic Bilbao have only conceded multiple goals in three La Liga matches this season.
Vivian also recorded two La Liga goals so far, including the winner against Leganes.
LB: Miguel Gutiérrez (Girona)
Miguel Gutiérrez is making the world learn his name. Coming off a breakout year in Girona's 2023–24 campaign, the 23-year-old is already three assists away from topping his career-best seven assists from last season.
Gutiérrez's four assists in 2024–25 lead the team, and he also already found the back of the net. The Spaniard is a disciplined defender as well, locking down the left flank while only entering the referee's book twice in 17 appearances.
DM: Fede Valverde (Real Madrid)
Fede Valverde has started every match for Real Madrid this season and commands the middle of the park for the defending Spanish champions. He even featured a right back due to Los Blancos' injury crisis.
All five of his La Liga goals came from outside the box, including the winners against Villarreal and Real Valladolid. When he is not scoring outrageous goals, he is pitching in all over the field, especially in Real Madrid's defensive efforts.
DM: Pedri (Barcelona)
Pedri is one of Barcelona's most consistent players. The Spaniard routinely puts in Man of the Match-worthy performances even if he is not always recognized at the end of 90 minutes. Even during the Catalans' poor form to close out the year, Pedri has been the one bright spot on the pitch.
The 22-year-old is often the one pulling the strings for Barcelona's attack and has four goals and two assists to show for it this season.
RW: Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
Are there any arguments that Lamine Yamal is the best right winger in Spain? The teenager recorded a league-high nine assists despite missing significant time due to injury. He also has five goals to his name in 16 appearances.
With the amount of records Yamal has broken this season (and those he is on pace to break), he is carving out his legacy among the best wingers in Europe.
AM: Antoine Griezmann (Atlético Madrid)
Even at age 33, Antoine Griezmann is still showing up when it matters most for Atlético Madrid. The Frenchman is up to seven goals and four assists in La Liga this season and continues to be a major reason why Diego Simeone's men find themselves atop the standings at Christmas.
Griezmann's most recent heroics came when he scored the stoppage time winner against Sevilla to secure all three points for his side.
LW: Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid)
Vinícius Júnior's eight goals and five assists might not blow anyone away, but all it takes is watching the winger for one match to see why he won The Best FIFA Men's Player of the Year Award. Perhaps the best evidence for the Brazilian's inclusion is Real Madrid's poor form while he was sidelined with a thigh injury.
Raphinha might have more La Liga goals (11) than his Brazil teammate, but the winger has played five more matches than Vinícius Júnior and only found the back of the net in one domestic match for Barcelona in December.
ST: Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)
Without question, the best striker in La Liga this season has been Robert Lewandowski. The 36-year-old leads the league with 16 goals and is in firm control of the Pichichi race.
Not only does Lewandowski have the most La Liga goals this season, but he also has the most goals scored across Europe's top five leagues.
READ THE LATEST LA LIGA NEWS, PREVIEWS, PREDICTIONS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE
This article was originally published on www.si.com as The La Liga 2024-25 Team of the Season So Far.
