The 2023/24 La Liga season has been full of everything we’ve come to love about Spanish football. Superstars like Jude Bellingham have excelled, tiny clubs like Girona have exceeded expectations, and the Spanish football dailies have continued to be littered with off-field drama at some of the biggest clubs in the world (mostly Barcelona).
With just nine gameweeks of the season left, we thought we’d have a crack at picking a team of the year so far…
Playing well / Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/GettyImages
With Thibaut Courtois missing the full season, and La Liga’s best goalkeeper of last season Marc-Andre ter Stegen missing 17 games due to a back injury, there was not a real clear choice for this spot. Andriy Lunin has been great in recent weeks, and Jan Oblak has been as reliable as ever too, but we ultimately opted to give the nod to Alex Remiro. The Real Sociedad goalkeeper has barely put a foot wrong all season – as the club’s impressive defensive record attests.
Consistent performer / Angel Martinez/GettyImages
The first of quite a few Girona players in this team (spoiler alert), 21-year-old Yan Couto has firmly established himself as one of the best full-backs around in 2023/24. His offensive prowess – which has resulted in him bagging eight goal contributions – has been key to Girona’s remarkable ascent to the upper reaches of La Liga.
One of the world’s best / Ion Alcoba Beitia/GettyImages
Considering that Real Madrid have the best defensive record in La Liga despite having essentially one fully fit centre-back for most of the season, that fully fit centre-back Antonio Rudiger is more than deserving of his spot in this team. The ex-Chelsea man has been sublime for the capital club.
Still going strong / Denis Doyle/GettyImages
The year is 2024 and Daley Blind is still a genuinely very, very good footballer. The Dutchman has been the beating heart of Girona’s La Liga title challenge, kickstarting 99% of their offensive forays with his calm and effective use of the ball when playing out from the back.
Cancelo has been a key player for Xavi’s side / Alex Caparros/GettyImages
The Manchester City outcast may have finally found a home at Barcelona…if they can afford to keep him that is. Having started virtually every game for Barca since he joined on loan on summer deadline day, it’s fair to say that Cancelo is now an integral member of Xavi Hernandez’s squad. His eight goal contributions in all competitions is certainly nothing to be sniffed at.
The rock at the heart of Madrid’s midfield / Alex Caparros/GettyImages
Every team needs a player who’ll do the dirty work at the heart of the midfield, and there’s perhaps no one better in the world for that job than Aurelien Tchouameni. The France international has expertly marshaled the Madrid midfield, providing a solid base from which his creative teammates can go and win games from.
Martin Zubimendi has been a standout / Ion Alcoba Beitia/GettyImages
You’ve seen Martin Zubimendi’s name littered across transfer gossip columns for the best part of the last year, and if you’ve seen him play you’ll know exactly why. The Spain international is utterly outstanding and is a metronomic presence in the heart of Sociedad’s midfield.
Back to his best / Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/GettyImages
After years of barely kicking a football, and actually being unemployed for six months in 2023, Isco is finally back and playing as well as ever. His 12 goal contributions across all competitions are proof of how good he’s been for his new club Real Betis since rocking up as a free agent last summer.
The best in La Liga / David Ramos/GettyImages
A lot was expected when Jude Bellingham rocked up to the Santiago Bernabeu in a move worth the equivalent of ÂŁ114m. And even more was expected when he decided to take the number five jersey once famously worn by Zinedine Zidane. With 20 goals to his name in all competitions, including a famous El Clasico winner, eight months on Bellingham has, somehow, exceeded said lofty expectations. Bellingham might just be the best footballer in the world right now.
Breakout star / Diego Souto/GettyImages
Hands up if you knew who Artem Dovbyk was this time last year? Put your hands down because you’re all lying. Having joined Girona from Dnipro 1 in the summer, not a lot was known about 26-year-old Dovbyk. After 14 goals in La Liga already this season – a tally only bettered by three players – the centre forward has been one of the most widely known and feared strikers in La Liga.
Atleti’s greatest ever player / Soccrates Images/GettyImages
Not many players can simultaneously be recognized as the best player in one club’s history and one of the worst in another’s. Antoine Griezmann is one of those footballers. Having endured a horrid spell at Barcelona, Griezmann returned to Atleti and instantly refound his best form. This season, despite having plenty of miles under his belt, the France star has been sublime in the final third, bagging 17 goal contributions in La Liga.
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