Emiliano Martinez and Morgan Rogers Named in Europa League Team of the Season
UEFA's technical observers have published the Team of the Season, which includes four Aston Villa players. Among them are goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and final goalscorer Morgan Rogers, who was named the tournament's best player.
Golden quartet from Birmingham: four Aston Villa players make the Europa League Team of the Season
Main Event
UEFA's technical observers have officially released the Europa League Team of the Season for 2025/2026, and Aston Villa is the biggest winner in this list. The Team of the Season includes four representatives from the English club, which defeated Freiburg 3-0 in the final on May 20.
The selected players are: goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, midfielders John McGinn (club captain) and Morgan Rogers (also named the tournament's best player), and forward Emiliano Buendia, who scored in the final. In total, the Team of the Season features players from six different clubs, but the champions' dominance is clear — no other club contributed more than two players.
Details and Statistics
Full Europa League Team of the Season 2025/26
| Position | Player | Club |
|----------|--------|------|
| Goalkeeper | Emiliano Martinez | Aston Villa |
| Defender | Victor Gomez | Braga |
| Defender | Matthias Ginter | Freiburg |
| Defender | Morato | Nottingham Forest |
| Defender | Oscar Mingueza | Celta Vigo |
| Midfielder | Maximilian Eggestein | Freiburg |
| Midfielder | John McGinn | Aston Villa |
| Midfielder | Morgan Rogers | Aston Villa |
| Forward | Antony | Real Betis |
| Forward | Igor Jesus | Nottingham Forest |
| Forward | Emiliano Buendia | Aston Villa |
Morgan Rogers — Player of the Season
Special mention goes to Morgan Rogers, who was named Player of the Season in the Europa League by UEFA. The 23-year-old English midfielder had an outstanding European campaign:
- 15 matches in the tournament (more than any other Villa player)
- 3 goals and 5 assists
- 1,088 minutes on the pitch — 67 minutes more than any teammate
- In the final against Freiburg, Rogers scored the third goal in the 58th minute and provided an assist
Rogers' statistics are even more impressive in the context of decisive matches: in the last four games of the tournament, he scored two goals and provided three assists. It is expected that on Friday, May 22, England head coach Thomas Tuchel will include Rogers in the World Cup squad.
Emiliano Martinez — Reliable Last Line
Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, winner of the 2022 World Cup Golden Glove, confirmed his class at club level. According to media reports, Martinez broke a finger before the final match but still played the entire game, keeping a clean sheet. This clean sheet in the final was a fitting end to his Europa League season.
Emiliano Buendia and John McGinn
Both midfielders also made huge contributions to the success:
- John McGinn, Aston Villa captain, was the team's leader throughout the tournament, providing balance in midfield.
- Emiliano Buendia scored in the final, netting Villa's second goal in first-half stoppage time. His strike was ranked by UEFA's technical observers as the fifth-best goal of the season in the Europa League.
Context and Significance
The inclusion of four Aston Villa players in the Team of the Season is not just a formality but a reflection of Unai Emery's team complete dominance throughout the tournament. The Lions not only won the final but looked convincing at every stage. For comparison, finalist Freiburg and semi-finalist Nottingham Forest each contributed only two players to the team, while individual award winners from other clubs (like Antony from Betis) are rare.
This success is all the more significant given that Aston Villa returned to the elite of European football after a long hiatus. The club won the Europa League for the first time in its history (the last European trophy was the 1982 European Cup). Now Villa players form the core of the Team of the Season, which automatically boosts their status on the transfer market and enhances the club's appeal to future signings.
Best Goals of the Season
UEFA's technical group also compiled a ranking of the best goals of the 2025/26 Europa League:
- 1st place — an impressive bicycle kick by Celta Vigo midfielder Jones El-Abdellaoui against Ludogorets.
- 5th place — Emiliano Buendia's goal in the final (Aston Villa vs. Freiburg).
- 7th place — Youri Tielemans' goal in the final (Aston Villa vs. Freiburg).
Thus, Aston Villa not only had a strong presence in the team but also contributed two goals to the top seven best moments of the tournament.
What's Next
For Aston Villa, the season ended on a high note, and the club is now preparing for the trophy presentation and likely the summer transfer campaign. Given their qualification for the Champions League next season, Villa's management will look to strengthen the squad.
For the heroes of this team — new challenges:
- Morgan Rogers will likely receive a call-up to the England squad for the World Cup. The official announcement is expected on May 22.
- Emiliano Martinez will continue to guard Villa's goal, but he will now attract even more attention from top clubs (rumors of interest from giants have already surfaced).
- John McGinn and Emiliano Buendia remain key figures in Unai Emery's project.
The world football spotlight in the coming days will be on the Champions League final in Munich, where Paris Saint-Germain will face Arsenal. Shortly after, the summer transfer window will open, where many members of the Team of the Season could change clubs.
— Editorial Team
