Barcelona dominate UEFA’s 2015 Team of the Year

Real Madrid have three players in the list.

UEFA.com users were given the chance to select their strongest XI from a host of top European players, with those players who received more votes than any other player receiving a spot in the final team.

In the starting line-up released by UEFA on Friday, January 8, Barcelona players Lionel Messi, Neymar, Dani Alves, Gerard Pique and Andres Iniesta are all included in the team.

German stopper Manuel Neuer made the team for a third time, an honour shared with his Bayern team-mate David Alaba. Messi had 52 goals previous year and won six trophies, while Ronaldo had 57 goals.

The last time a Premier League player made the team in his own right was when Gareth Bale, then of Tottenham Hotspur, was selected in 2011.

The players are reigning FIFA World Player of the Year, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos and James Rodriguez.

The influence of Champions League success seems to have been a major player in the voting as only the four semi-finalists from the 2014/15 campaign had representatives on the team.

Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona and Argentina), Neymar (Barcelona and Brazil) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid and Portugal).