The best of 2025: Kane, Salah and Mbappe shine in Europe´s top five leagues
The final bell is ringing for another year, showcasing an array of remarkable football moments. Arne Slot, Vincent Kompany, Hansi Flick, and Antonio Conte each guided their teams to league titles in their inaugural seasons in charge during 2024-25, while Luis Enrique celebrated his second treble with Paris Saint-Germain. The latter half of the year has also delivered excitement, with all leagues shaping up favorably as we approach 2026. But which teams and players have made a significant impact over the past year? Utilizing Opta data, we highlight some of the finest performances from Europe’s leading five leagues in 2025.
Salah and Haaland steal Premier League spotlight
While various Premier League clubs have distinguished themselves at different times this year for different justifications, two particular players have truly captured attention. Mohamed Salah wrapped up the 2024-25 season with a total of 47 contributions to goals (29 goals, 18 assists), matching the Premier League record established by both Andrew Cole (1993-94) and Alan Shearer (1994-95). Just a few weeks back, he surpassed the record for the most goal contributions for a single Premier League club, reaching 277 with Liverpool (188 goals, 89 assists), overtaking Wayne Rooney’s tally at Manchester United. Erling Haaland also dazzled in the Premier League, once more etching his name into the record books. The Norwegian hit the 100 Premier League goal mark, accomplishing this feat in just 111 matches, faster than anyone else in the history of the league. Haaland also achieved his 200th goal contribution in Europe’s top five leagues (165 matches), reaching this milestone quicker than Kylian Mbappe, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lionel Messi.
Kane leads Bayern’s charge
Bayern Munich left no room for any other contenders in 2025, as they became the first team in Bundesliga history to remain atop the table at the end of every matchday throughout a complete calendar year (34/34). They achieved 107 league goals, the highest tally in Europe’s top five leagues, making it no surprise that Harry Kane had yet another record-setting year. He netted 51 goals across all competitions – among Bundesliga players, only Robert Lewandowski (58) has managed more in a single calendar year (2021). Kane also notched 100 goal contributions in his 78th league match, becoming the fastest player to reach that milestone since data tracking began in 2004-05.
PSG make history
This year has been unforgettable for PSG, following their historic treble-winning season in 2024-25. They established a new points record in an 18-team Ligue 1 season (84), while boasting the highest average points per game (2.5) across Europe’s top five leagues in 2024-25. Furthermore, PSG became only the second team in a European first division to clinch six titles within a single calendar year (Champions League, Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Super Cup, Trophee des Champions, and Intercontinental Cup), following Barcelona’s impressive run in 2009. They concluded 2025 with 50 wins across all competitions, marking the highest total for a Ligue 1 club in a calendar year.
Mbappe outshines Flick’s Barcelona
Barcelona showcased their scoring talent, tallying 169 goals over 60 matches in all competitions— their highest in a single calendar year without Messi. Lamine Yamal has sparkled, becoming one of only two players in the top five leagues to have both scored 20+ goals (21) and provided 20+ assists (21) across all competitions, alongside Michael Olise. However, the standout performer in LaLiga was Mbappe. He made a dazzling impact at Real Madrid, netting 59 goals in all competitions, tying Ronaldo’s record from 2013. Moreover, he became the top-scoring Madrid player in his debut campaign, scoring 43 times in 2024-25 across all competitions.
Conte lifts Napoli
Napoli claimed the trophy on the final day of 2024-25 after acquiring just 82 points; in the three-points-per-win era, this is the joint-lowest total for Italian champions in a 20-team season. They became the first team to win the Scudetto in Serie A’s 20-team format after finishing in 10th place the previous year, surpassing the record held by Conte’s Juventus in 2011-12 (seventh). Scott McTominay emerged as a pivotal figure in their triumph, notching 16 goal contributions (12 goals, four assists), equaling the best record for a debut Serie A season. Inter maintained a consistent presence at the top throughout 2025, with captain Lautaro Martinez driving the team forward; he scored 15 league goals, tying for the highest in the competition (with Riccardo Orsolini).
Published: 2025-12-31 21:55:00
source: www.soccernews.com
