UEFA reveals 2020 men's & women's teams of the year
UEFA has named its 2020 men’s and women’s fans’ teams of the year, as voted for by almost six million fans. The men’s XI has been going for 20 years, but this is the first time that UEFA has also introduced a women’s selection.
50-strong shortlists were chosen for voting fans to peruse and, unsurprisingly, each team of the year is dominated by Champions League winners.
2020 UEFA Men’s Fans’ Team of the Year
Five of the Bayern Munich side that lifted the Champions League trophy feature in the men’s side. Among them is Thiago Alcantara, who has since joined Liverpool.
There are, of course, places for Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as well, despite neither going beyond the quarter finals of the Champions League last season.
Bayern’s Alphonso Davies is the first Canadian to feature in a UEFA men’s team of the year in recognition of his stunning breakout season. He is joined by a fellow Canadian in the women’s.
GK: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich & Germany)
DF: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich & Germany)
DF: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid & Spain)
DF: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool & Netherlands)
DF: Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich & Canada)
MF: Thiago Alcantara (Bayern Munich/Liverpool & Spain)
MF: Kevin De Bruyne (Man City & Belgium)
FW: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus & Portugal)
FW: Lionel Messi (Barcelona & Argentina)
FW: Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain & Brazil)
FW: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich & Poland)
2020 UEFA Women’s Fans’ Team of the Year
There are seven players who won the 2019/20 Champions League with Lyon in the women’s team of the year, including reigning Best FIFA Women’s Player Lucy Bronze, who has since re-joined Manchester City.
Lyon centre-back Kadeisha Buchanan makes it a doubly proud moment for Canadian soccer in tandem with Davies being chosen for the men’s XI.
England’s Women’s Super League is represented by the aforementioned Bronze, as well as Chelsea captain Magda Eriksson, Arsenal maestro Danielle van de Donk and Chelsea world record signing Pernille Harder, who played in the Champions League final for Wolfsburg.
GK: Sarah Bouhaddi (Lyon & France)
DF: Lucy Bronze (Lyon/Man City & England)
DF: Kadeisha Buchanan (Lyon & Canada)
DF: Wendie Renard (Lyon & France)
DF: Magdalena Eriksson (Chelsea & Sweden)
MF: Kheira Hamraoui (Barcelona & France)
MF: Amandine Henry (Lyon & France)
MF: Delphine Cascarino (Lyon & France)
MF: Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir (Wolfsburg/Lyon & Iceland)
MF: Danielle van de Donk (Arsenal & Netherlands)
FW: Pernille Harder (Wolfsburg/Chelsea & Denmark)
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