Portuguese Primeira Liga team of the season 2024/25 | OneFootball

PortuGOAL writers select their best XIs

It is that time of the year when the PortuGOAL.net writers who focus on domestic football in Portugal select their best eleven based on the season just finished.

As ever, some differing opinions make for a variety of teams. However, there is almost unanimous agreement about a solid core of half a dozen players who have shined brightest in this campaign, and who make it into at least four of the five teams selected: Álvaro Carreras, Morten Hjulmand, Rodrigo Mora, Vangelis Pavlidis, Francisco Trincão and Viktor Gyökeres.

Matthew Marshall’s 2024/25 team of the season

Rui Silva (Sporting): Hardly put a foot wrong after joining the club in January, playing a big role in Sporting’s run to the title.

Francisco Chissumba (Braga): Promoted to the senior side in January and made the left-back position his own. The 19-year-old has a bright future.

Gonçalo Inácio (Sporting): Sporting’s most consistent centre-back this season.

Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica): The best central defender in Portugal this season and will be sorely missed by Benfica when he leaves.

Alberto Costa (Vitória): Came from nowhere to be first choice right-back at Vitória de Guimarães, making just 10 appearances before Juventus snapped him up for €13.8m in January.

Morten Hjulmand (Sporting): The best holding midfielder in Portugal by a big margin.

Matthew Marshall’s Team of the Season 2024/25

Ricardo Horta’s (Braga) goals and assists were one of the reasons Braga were in contention to finish third.

Francisco Trincão (Sporting): Scored nine Primeira Liga goals and contributed a Primeira Liga high 14 assists, no other player reaching double figures.

Rodrigo Mora (Porto): Came from nowhere to earn a starting spot at Porto, scoring seven goals in his final nine appearances to earn a place in Roberto Martinez’s Portugal squad at 18-years-old.

Vangelis Pavlidis (Benfica): Took some time to get going but went on a tear from late January. The Greek striker ended the season on fire, registering nine goals and three assists in his final eight games.

Viktor Gyökeres (Sporting): The standout player in Portugal and got it done in all competitions, scoring 54 goals in 52 appearances for the Lions.

Tom Kundert’s 2024/25 team of the season

Cezary Miszta (Rio Ave): The young Pole enjoyed an outstanding debut season in Portugal despite (or perhaps because of!) playing for a poor Rio Ave team.

Gaizka Larrazabal (Casa Pia): The energetic Spanish right-back was excellent throughout and a big reason Casa Pia broke a club record for accumulating the most points ever in the top flight.

Ousmane Diomande (Sporting): The imposing centre-back stepped into the berth left by the seemingly irreplaceable Sebastián Coates to become the boss of Sporting’s defence.

Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica): Leading by example, the Argentine World Cup winner frequently stood out with his aggression and never-say-die attitude.

Álvaro Carreras (Benfica): Left-back had been a problem position for Benfica ever since the departure of Alejandro Grimaldo, but Carreras, like his Spanish predecessor, excelled in the attacking side of the game as well as defending solidly.

Morten Hjulmand (Sporting): Controlled aggression, positional intelligence, class. It is no coincidence Sporting have won the league twice since the brilliant Dane’s arrival at the club.

Tom Kundert’s Team of the Season 2024/25

Orkun Kökçü (Benfica): The Turkish midfielder, perhaps weighed down by his record transfer fee for a player coming to Portugal, finally shed the shackles from Christmas onwards with a series of fantastic performances throughout the second half of the season.

Rodrigo Mora (Porto): Porto’s rotten season has the silver lining of the incredible impact made by Mora, who at just 17 became the attacking centre-piece of the Dragons.

Francisco Trincão (Sporting): Superb season from the forward who made a habit of turning it on in crunch games for both his club and country.

Vangelis Pavlidis (Benfica): Took a while to find his scoring touch but was unstoppable after Christmas. Only not talked about more because Gyökeres puts all forwards in the shade.

Viktor Gyökeres (Sporting): 54 goals and 13 assists in 52 matches are simply absurd numbers. By far the best player in Portugal these last two seasons and one of the all-time greats to have played in the country.

Patrick Ribeiro’s 2024/25 team of the season

Anatoliy Trubin (Benfica): It’s difficult to look past Trubin as number one, offering consistency and serenity, which is everything you want from a goalkeeper.

Tomás Araujo (Benfica): The young defender quickly became one of the first names on Bruno Lage’s team sheet, due to consistent performances that’ll soon see his name associated with loftier heights like the Portuguese national team and Europe’s big sharks.

Eduardo Quaresma (Sporting): Once one of the most promising names in academy football, Quaresma’s career hasn’t quite taken him to the level anticipated, but this season did showcase plenty of his talent. Whether he was driving play from the back, burning through lines, or even providing crucial goals, the final third of the season was a fitting and hopefully defining moment for a young man who’s already had so many ups and downs.

Zeno Debast (Sporting): His freshman year in Portugal wasn’t without its early struggles, but those were overcome quite convincingly, firstly leading from the back before adapting brilliantly to his new midfield role. When things looked ropey for Sporting, Debast’s presence was pivotal.

Álvaro Carreras (Benfica): This season has been another big step up for Carreras and it’s no wonder the likes of Real Madrid and more have come knocking for his services. A real and constant threat down Benfica’s left makes him a standout.

Morten Hjulmand (Sporting): From the moment Ruben Amorim departed and the appointment of João Pereira misfired, Sporting’s season had real potential to spiral out of control. It didn’t and a big reason for this was due to the players innate belief in themselves to prove the doubters wrong, post-Amorim. As captain, alongside his habitual gritty performances, Morten Hjulmand was the face of that and he has well and truly earned his privilege to lift the title, this season.

Patrick Ribeiro’s Team of the Season 2024/25

Kerem Aktürkoğlu (Benfica): Joining in the summer from Galatasaray, Aktürkoğlu arrived with some frightening form and has been a part of so many of Benfica’s positives throughout the season. With 16 goals to his name, the Turkey international has been an easy hit.

Rodrigo Mora (Porto): Arguably the best thing to come out of Porto’s season has been the ascendancy of Rodrigo Mora – a micro-sized creative force who enabled the Dragons’ faithful to dream again throughout a turbulent season. At just 18 years of age, Mora registered 14 goal contributions, and in some style too! A gem in its truest sense.

Geovany Quenda (Sporting): From one wonderkid to another, Geovany Quenda burst onto the scene in pre-season and hasn’t looked back since. A mainstay in Sporting’s title-winning squad, with a move to Chelsea already in the pipeline, the winger’s impact cannot be understated.

Vangelis Pavlidis (Benfica): With 29 goals to his name, eclipsed only by another certain Lisbon-based goal-getter, Pavlidis was arguably Benfica’s best and most reliable individual as they went toe-to-toe with Sporting for the league title.

Viktor Gyökeres (Sporting): There are little, if any superlatives left to level at Viktor Gyökeres. A staggering 54 goals in 52 games are simply absurd numbers from one of the most dominant players, not just this season, but possibly ever in Portuguese League history.

Barney Carter-Phillips’ 2024/25 team of the season

Anatoliy Trubin (Benfica), Eduardo Quaresma (Sporting), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Ousmane Diomande (Sporting), Álvaro Carreras (Benfica), Zeno Debast (Sporting), Gustsavo Sá (Famalicão), Francisco Trincão (Sporting), Viktor Gyökeres (Sporting), Vangelis Pavlidis (Benfica), Samu Aghehowa (Porto)

Barney Carter-Phillips’ Team of the Season 2024/25

Albert Carter-Phillips’ 2024/25 team of the season

Anatoliy Trubin (Benfica), Tomás Araujo (Benfica), Ousmane Diomande (Sporting), Gonçalo Inácio (Sporting), Álvaro Carreras (Benfica), Morten Hjulmand (Sporting), Orkun Kökçü (Benfica), Rodrigo Mora (Porto), Francisco Trincão (Sporting), Viktor Gyökeres (Sporting), Vangelis Pavlidis (Benfica)

Albert Carter-Phillips’ Team of the Season 2024/25