Arda Güler bags UEFA’s CL Breakthrough Player of the Season award

Real Madrid Turkish midfielder Arda Güler capped his breakthrough 2025-26 UEFA Champions League campaign by being named UEFA’s Revelation of the Season, while Paris Saint-Germain winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia claimed the competition’s top individual award after leading the French club to another European title.

UEFA announced its annual honors following the conclusion of the tournament, recognizing players who defined a campaign that featured the league-phase format, dramatic knockout ties and PSG’s successful title defense.

At just 21, Güler completed his transformation from promising talent to one of Europe’s most influential young midfielders.

The Turkish international was awarded UEFA’s inaugural Revelation of the Season honor, a newly introduced award recognizing young players who take a major step forward and make a significant impact on the competition.

After playing a limited role during the previous campaign, Güler became a key figure in Real Madrid’s midfield, logging 1,030 Champions League minutes across 14 appearances, including 13 starts.

His playing time increased more than sevenfold compared with the 2024-25 season, highlighting the scale of his development.

Güler finished the tournament with two goals and four assists while emerging as one of Madrid’s primary creative outlets.

His composure in possession, ability to dictate tempo and vision in the final third helped establish him as a regular starter in Europe’s biggest club competition.

One of his defining performances came in Real Madrid’s league-phase victory over Juventus in October, where he earned Player of the Match honors after controlling proceedings from midfield.

His biggest contributions arrived in the knockout rounds. Güler scored both of his Champions League goals in the quarterfinal against Bayern Munich, helping Madrid navigate one of the competition’s toughest ties. He also maintained a passing accuracy close to 88%, further underlining his growing influence as a deep-lying playmaker.

UEFA’s Technical Observer Group praised his maturity, consistency and ability to impact high-pressure matches, making him a clear choice for the breakthrough award.

The recognition marks another milestone in Güler’s rapid rise and further strengthens his status as one of Turkey’s brightest football talents.

Kvaratskhelia powers PSG to another European crown

While Güler claimed the breakthrough honor, Kvaratskhelia was recognized as the Champions League’s best player after spearheading PSG’s successful title defense.

The Georgian winger played a decisive role throughout the campaign, helping PSG secure back-to-back European titles following their penalty shootout victory over Arsenal in the final in Budapest.

Kvaratskhelia combined flair, creativity and efficiency, finishing the tournament with 10 goals and six assists. His 16 goal contributions made him one of the most productive players in the competition and a constant threat on PSG’s left flank.

Perhaps most impressively, he became the first player in Champions League history to register a goal contribution in seven consecutive knockout-stage matches, a record that highlighted his consistency on the biggest stage.

Across all competitions, the 25-year-old made 48 appearances and scored 19 goals, continuing his rise among the elite attackers in world football.

Kvaratskhelia succeeds teammate Ousmane Dembélé as UEFA’s Player of the Season and was widely regarded as the driving force behind PSG’s European success.

PSG dominate Team of the Season

UEFA’s Technical Observer Group also unveiled the Champions League Team of the Season, with PSG’s dominance reflected in five selections.

Finalists Arsenal contributed three players, while Bayern Munich had two representatives and Atlético Madrid one.

UEFA Champions League Team of the Season

Goalkeeper

David Raya (Arsenal)

Defenders

Marcos Llorente (Atlético Madrid)

Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain)

Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal)

Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain)

Midfielders

Michael Olise (Bayern Munich)

Declan Rice (Arsenal)

Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain)

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Paris Saint-Germain)

Forwards:

Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain)

Harry Kane (English footballer)

PSG’s strong presence in the team reflected their sustained excellence throughout the competition and underscored the club’s continued success in the post-Kylian Mbappe era.

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