These 5 FC Barcelona Players Were Named to the La Liga Team of the Season

FC Barcelona, one of the most popular football clubs in the world, won its 27th La Liga title in 2022–23. With three games left in the season as of May 22, Barcelona had already secured the title with 27 victories and 85 points, 14 points clear of second-place Atletico Madrid. Only Real Madrid (35) has won Spain’s top domestic football title more times than Barcelona.

In recognition of the team’s success in 2022–23, five Barcelona players were among the 15 named to La Liga’s Team of the Season, announced during a ceremony on May 19. Here is a look at each of those players and their contributions this season.

1. Robert Lewandowski

With three games left in the 2022–23 season, Polish striker Robert Lewandowski led all La Liga players in goals (21) and was a key reason for Barcelona’s success this year. He was one of four forwards named to the Team of the Season along with Vinícius Jr (Real Madrid), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), and Antoine Griezmann (Atlético de Madrid). Lewandowski, who spent the prior 12 seasons with Bayern Munich and Dortmund in the Bundesliga, also had six assists through 31 matches this season.

Interestingly, his 0.77 goals per 90 minutes was his lowest average since the 2018–19 season. He scored a career-best 1.5 goals per 90 minutes (41 in 29 matches) during the 2020–21 season. This marks the ninth consecutive season that Lewandowski’s team finished at the top of the table (he won the Bundesliga eight years in a row with Bayern Munich). Lewandowski scored an additional eight goals in other competitions and helped Barcelona win the Super Copa.

“This title tastes different than those won with Bayern. And I won 8 in a row. Here we are in the transition. We are building something new,” Lewandowski said in May. “I would take it before it has started. It was a difficult one, with the World Cup in the middle of it. It was not a normal pre-season for me. I am sure I can do better in the second one.”

2. Pedri

Pedri was the lone Barcelona midfielder named to the 2022–23 Team of the Season. A 20-year-old attacking midfielder from Bajamar, Spain, Pedri earned the distinction for the second consecutive season after scoring six goals and adding one assist through 26 matches. He also completed 86.3 percent of his passes, including 88.8 percent of medium-distance passes. Pedri also showed himself to be an effective defender, winning 22 of 39 tackles, 15 of which were in the defensive third of the pitch.

The Team of the Season accolade is the latest in Pedri’s already impressive resume. He was just 16 when he played his first professional match for Las Palmas. He also represented Spain in the 2020 Summer Olympics and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and he won the 2021 Golden Boy Award for being the top European football player under the age of 21. He’s under contract with Barcelona until 2026.

Mikel Merino (Real Sociedad), Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Fede Valverde (Real Madrid), and Gabri Veiga (Celta de Vigo) were the other midfielders named to the team.

3. Jules Kounde

A 24-year-old player from Paris, France, Jules Kounde was one of two Barcelona defenders named to the Team of the Season. After spending three seasons with La Liga club Sevilla, Kounde started 26 of 27 games for Barcelona and scored one goal while adding three assists. He completed 87.1 percent of his 1,846 pass attempts and achieved 1.52 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes, the highest total of his career. He also won 21 of 34 tackles.

4. Alejandro Balde

Alejandro Balde, the second Barcelona defender named to the Team of the Season, is an 18-year-old hometown favorite born and raised in Barcelona. He debuted with the senior club in 2021–22, starting two and playing in five matches. Balde started 28 of the 31 matches in which he played during the 2022–23 season and scored his first career La Liga goal while adding six assists. He recorded 2.47 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes and won 28 of 40 tackles.

Other defenders named to the team were Nahuel Molina (Atlético de Madrid), Éder Militao (Real Madrid), and David García (Osasuna).

5. Marc-André Ter Stegen

Barcelona allowed a league-low 15 goals through 35 La Liga matches, 12 fewer than second-place Atletico Madrid, and goalkeeper Marc-André Ter Stegen was a major reason for the team’s impressive defensive results. Only six other teams had allowed fewer than 40 goals through 35 matches.

An experienced 31-year-old keeper from Mönchengladbach, Germany, Ter Stegen recorded an 85.2 save percentage, the best of his eight seasons with Barcelona, through 35 matches this season. He also had a career-best 25 clean sheets. Ter Stegen is a three-time La Liga champion with Barcelona and was named to the 2018 UEFA Team of the Year.