Top 10 La Liga Players to Watch in the 2025/2026 Season

Top 10 La Liga Players to Watch in the 2025/2026 Season spotlights the most exciting talents and standout performers expected to dominate Spain’s top flight this year. From seasoned superstars to emerging prodigies, La Liga promises a thrilling campaign full of drama, brilliance, and breakout moments. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético, or one of the rising clubs like Girona or Real Sociedad, this list highlights the players set to steal the headlines. Will the league’s golden boys deliver again, or could a new face rise to challenge the old guard?

With major transfers reshaping squads and young talent on the verge of stardom, the 2025/2026 season is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable and compelling in recent memory. This article covers everything from lethal goalscorers and creative midfielders to rock-solid defenders and game-changing wingers. Expect profiles packed with insights, recent form, tactical impact, and why these ten players deserve your attention this season. Whether you’re watching for fantasy football tips or just to stay ahead of the narrative, this top 10 list is your perfect pre-season companion. Discover who’s set to shine brightest in La Liga’s latest chapter.

10. Javi Guerra – Valencia

Valencia’s rising midfield general, Javi Guerra, continues to attract attention across Spain. At just 21, Guerra has already matured into a reliable central figure in Rubén Baraja’s setup. His style blends composure with smart positioning, and he’s capable of dictating tempo while offering an occasional long-range threat. With Valencia focusing more on youth development, Guerra has become a poster boy for the club’s new project.

After a solid 2024/25 campaign where he consistently impressed despite Valencia’s ups and downs, Guerra is set for a bigger leap in 2025/26. He’s not just there to develop anymore — he’s expected to lead. His passing range and intelligence on the ball make him ideal in transitional play, while defensively, he reads danger well for someone so young.

What makes Guerra particularly watchable this season is how much responsibility he now holds. With older heads leaving the club and younger talent rising alongside him, Guerra has gone from being a promising kid to the central axis Valencia turns to. If he can stay consistent and add more goal contributions, 2025/26 could be the year he breaks into the Spain senior team permanently and garners interest from top-tier European clubs. Guerra’s ceiling remains incredibly high.

9. Raphinha – Barcelona

Raphinha enters the 2025/26 campaign at a key moment in his Barcelona career. The Brazilian winger has had flashes of brilliance since arriving from Leeds, but inconsistency and injuries have sometimes disrupted his rhythm. Now under the guidance of Hansi Flick, whose style values intensity, verticality, and wide attacking threats, Raphinha could finally find the tactical clarity that allows him to shine week in, week out.

He remains one of Barça’s most explosive wide players, capable of beating defenders one-on-one, cutting inside to unleash venomous shots with his left foot, or tracking back aggressively to help defend. With questions around Barcelona’s attacking structure in transition, Raphinha’s work rate and adaptability will be crucial. He’ll also be looked upon to mentor younger players like Lamine Yamal — and could even partner with the teenager more dynamically this season.

Barcelona are still in transition after the Xavi era, and Raphinha represents both experience and urgency in their title push. With increased competition for places and Flick demanding more directness, this season could finally be the one where Raphinha fully stamps his name on the big La Liga nights. For both player and club, this year feels like a pivotal crossroad.

8. Takefusa Kubo – Real Sociedad

Takefusa Kubo has quietly become one of La Liga’s most refined attacking talents. After bouncing between loans early in his career, the Japanese international has found stability — and starring status — at Real Sociedad. He was a standout in 2024/25, leading the club in key passes and chances created while contributing goals from wide and central positions.

Kubo’s game is built on elegance and intelligence. He possesses exceptional balance, close control, and timing in tight spaces. Whether cutting in from the right or operating as a second striker, Kubo adds a layer of unpredictability to Sociedad’s possession-based system. He’s matured, too — no longer just a flashy dribbler, but a consistent creator with excellent defensive work rate and positioning off the ball.

Real Sociedad are again aiming for a top-four finish, and Kubo will be central to those ambitions. With David Silva’s retirement and Mikel Oyarzabal adapting to a new role, Kubo now bears more creative responsibility. This could also be the season he takes the leap from “underrated gem” to one of La Liga’s most sought-after players. At just 24, he’s approaching his prime — and 2025/26 could be the year Kubo turns subtle brilliance into something spectacular and season-defining.

7. Julián Álvarez – Atlético Madrid

Julián Álvarez’s arrival at Atlético Madrid was one of the biggest stories of the summer. After years of being an impact sub at Manchester City, the Argentine forward finally gets the opportunity to lead the line — and he’ll do so under Diego Simeone. That’s a huge challenge, but also the perfect setting for a player who thrives on energy, pressing, and instinctive finishing.

What makes Álvarez so compelling is his versatility. He’s not a traditional No. 9 nor a classic second striker — he’s a hybrid who can drift, create, and score in equal measure. Simeone’s system often demands self-sacrifice, and Álvarez fits that mold perfectly. Expect him to press relentlessly, exploit spaces behind the lines, and score scrappy goals in tight matches — all of which Atlético will need as they look to challenge the Real Madrid–Barcelona duopoly.

Álvarez is also entering this season with something to prove. At City, he won everything — but often from the bench. Now, he’s the man. La Liga fans will be watching closely to see how he adapts to Spain’s more tactical, slower-paced style. If he settles quickly, he could be a 20+ goal striker in his debut season — and the face of Atlético’s next generation.

6. Arda Güler – Real Madrid

Last season ended with Arda Güler reminding the world why he’s one of the most hyped teenagers in world football. After a frustrating start filled with injuries, the Turkish playmaker came alive in the final stretch of 2024/25, scoring dazzling goals with minimal minutes and showcasing the kind of poise rarely seen in players his age.

Heading into 2025/26, Güler has momentum, fitness, and a coach in Carlo Ancelotti who now trusts him with more minutes. Whether as a rotation option or as a midfield creator behind the front three, Güler brings something no one else in the squad quite does — imagination. His passing vision, set-piece delivery, and ability to shoot from distance make him a game-changer even in short spells.

What’s most exciting is his ceiling. At just 20, Güler is still developing physically and tactically, yet he already carries himself like a veteran in the final third. With a packed calendar and Real Madrid competing on multiple fronts, Güler is expected to feature more prominently. Whether he’s threading passes to Mbappé and Vini or scoring himself, this could be the season Arda Güler steps fully into the spotlight. Watch closely — his breakout may be unstoppable.

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5. Federico Valverde – Real Madrid

Federico Valverde is Real Madrid’s heartbeat — and one of the most complete midfielders in world football. A hybrid of energy, steel, and technical quality, the Uruguayan international plays with unmatched intensity. Whether deployed as a right-sided midfielder, a box-to-box runner, or even as a wide option in a 4-4-2 diamond, Valverde delivers every week.

What sets him apart isn’t just his stamina or tactical discipline — it’s his ability to change games. Valverde scores screamers, drives the ball from deep under pressure, and presses relentlessly. He does the dirty work and the spectacular. In a midfield filled with creativity from players like Bellingham and Güler, Valverde is the enforcer, the connector, and at times, the finisher.

Now entering his prime, Valverde is no longer just an underrated cog. He’s a leader — and a player Real Madrid can’t function without. As Mbappé and Vinícius dominate the headlines, it’s often Valverde’s tireless work behind the scenes that gives them the platform to thrive.

With Ancelotti demanding more from every department, and Madrid gunning for both La Liga and Europe again, Valverde is set for another massive season. Don’t overlook him — he might just be Madrid’s most indispensable player.

4. Lamine Yamal – Barcelona

At just 17 years old, Lamine Yamal is already one of La Liga’s most electric and unpredictable players. Last season was a breakout campaign for the Spanish-Moroccan winger, filled with jaw-dropping dribbles, outrageous assists, and flashes of pure genius. Now, in 2025/26, the stage is fully set for his elevation into superstardom.

Yamal plays with the composure of someone twice his age. His ability to glide past defenders, pick the right final ball, and impact high-stakes matches has made him essential to Barcelona’s attack. What’s more impressive is his maturity — he doesn’t just play for the highlight reel. He reads the game, adapts to space, and often makes decisions that create sustained pressure.

Under Hansi Flick’s guidance, Yamal is expected to take on an even greater tactical role — possibly floating across both wings and drifting inside when needed. With Barcelona leaning heavily on youth in their rebuild, Yamal isn’t just part of the plan — he is the plan.

There will be pressure, but if his first full season is anything to go by, he thrives under it. This could be the year Lamine Yamal becomes a global face of La Liga, cementing his place among the elite before even turning 18.

3. Nico Williams – Athletic Club

Few players in La Liga enter the 2025/26 season with as much buzz as Nico Williams. After a phenomenal Euro 2024 with Spain, the Athletic Club winger is no longer just a domestic talent — he’s a global star in the making. Quick, fearless, and incredibly intelligent in possession, Nico is arguably the most exciting wide player outside of Real Madrid and Barcelona.

At Athletic Club, he’s the creative engine — tasked with stretching defenses, delivering pinpoint crosses, and taking on full-backs relentlessly. He’s improved tremendously in his decision-making, composure, and finishing. What used to be raw pace is now refined execution. His chemistry with brother Iñaki remains a unique dynamic, but Nico is now very much the focal point of the team.

There were heavy transfer links to top clubs in the summer, but Nico decided to stay — at least for now. That loyalty to Athletic, paired with his ambition, means this could be the defining season of his career. A push toward European qualification is possible if he maintains his form.

With fans, pundits, and scouts all watching closely, Nico Williams has everything in place to dominate La Liga this year — and possibly secure a blockbuster move next summer.

2. Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid

Jude Bellingham took La Liga by storm in his debut season. He arrived with pressure, delivered immediately, and has already become a cornerstone of Real Madrid’s identity. From scoring clutch goals to leading by example in midfield, Bellingham has proven he’s more than just hype — he’s the real deal, and already world-class.

Heading into the 2025/26 season, the expectations are even higher. With Kylian Mbappé now fully integrated and Madrid’s midfield stacked with talent, Bellingham will be asked to adapt further — playing deeper at times, or serving as the late-arriving attacker in Ancelotti’s shape-shifting system. No matter the role, his impact is inevitable.

Bellingham brings rare emotional intelligence to the pitch. He plays with power and precision, but also passion. He leads even without the armband and never shrinks in big moments. He’s already scored in Clásicos, Champions League knockouts, and title-deciding games — and he’s only 22.

In a team brimming with attacking fireworks, Bellingham is often the one who glues it all together. Whether driving forward with the ball or arriving late in the box, he always influences matches. In 2025/26, expect Jude to solidify his place as one of the very best players on the planet.

1. Kylian Mbappé – Real Madrid

Kylian Mbappé’s first season in La Liga was everything we expected — blistering pace, clinical goals, and global stardom. He scored over 30 goals across competitions, helped Madrid regain domestic dominance, and instantly shifted the power dynamics of the league. Yet as we move into the 2025/26 campaign, the sense is that he’s only just getting started.

Mbappé is no longer adjusting. He’s adapted to the Spanish style, built chemistry with Vinícius and Bellingham, and learned how to impact games even when space is tight. With a year of experience in Ancelotti’s setup, this season could be his most efficient and dangerous yet. Whether deployed centrally or on the left, he creates chaos. His dribbling at top speed, his vision in transition, and his ruthless finishing make him nearly unplayable.

What sets Mbappé apart is how much attention he commands. Opponents plan their entire tactics around him — and still often fail. But this season, with Real Madrid pushing for another Champions League title and Barcelona aiming to bounce back, Mbappé’s role will be under even greater scrutiny.

He’s not just a player to watch in La Liga — he’s the player to watch in world football. If 2024/25 was a warning, 2025/26 could be a takeover.

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