It's the most wonderful time of the year... if you love a combined XI.
You'll no doubt be seeing plenty of these sorts of features over the next couple of days, with everyone looking to put together their team of standout performers from the calendar year.
And we're no different...well, sort of.
Originally, this was going to be just Premier League focused, and while England's top flight claims most of the spots, I've opened it up to either the big five leagues in Europe (Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga, LaLiga, Ligue 1) or the major international tournaments we've seen.
And it won't be a case of just 'picking the best player' for each position either.
Look, some will be like that, I can't exactly ignore a Player of the Tournament AND Ballon d'Or winner, can I? But others are included on the basis of key moments from across the year.
There may be 'better' players in those positions but their place has been selected based on specific times where they caught the eye or hit the headlines.
Let me know your thoughts on the team by finding me @TomCarnduff on X or @tomcarnduff.bsky.social on Bluesky but please remember the 'alternative' part of this before you do - oh and this was also done before Boxing Day so those games won't be included in any stats etc.
So, let's get into it...
GK: Giorgi Mamardashvili
There was only one candidate for this spot in my mind.
Giorgi Mamardashvili was sensational for Georgia during their unexpectedly successful Euro 2024 campaign in which they defied the odds to reach the knockout stages.
His total of 29 saves was the highest at the tournament by far - a particularly impressive number made even better by the fact he only played four games.
The 24-year-old has been nowhere near as busy in LaLiga, with that same tally of 29 saves made across 14 appearances. He currently possesses three clean sheets.
Mamardashvili's spell at Valencia comes to an end this year and we'll be seeing far more of the Georgian stopper with Liverpool his destination in the summer.
RB: Daniel Muñoz
Crystal Palace's 24/25 campaign had the potential to be a seriously good one given the impact made by Oliver Glasner following his arrival in February.
It's not quite happened as they sit 16th after 17 games and find themselves much closer to relegation than the top half they would have been aiming for.
One player who has benefited from Glasner's arrival though is Daniel Muñoz. Two goals and five assists have come in the league from March onwards.
The move to a back-three system has been a big reason behind this as it allows him to fully operate as a wing-back with the freedom to try and contribute in attack.
Muñoz is a strong tackler though with only Genoa midfielder Morten Frendrup returning more successful tackles among players in Europe's big five leagues this season.
If Palace's season ends up being one in which they finish around the 14th/15th mark, you could easily see Muñoz being on the move in the summer window.
CB: Nikola Milenković
I really wanted to include a Nottingham Forest player in this considering their remarkable season so far and you could make a strong case for either one of the centre-back pairing.
I'm going to take Nikola Milenković though. The Serbia international has been a hit since his summer switch from Fiorentina.
Struggling to defend set-pieces, are you? Sometimes the solution is as simple as bringing in a lad who is 6ft 5in. His aerial presence has been crucial for Forest.
Nikola Milenkovic nets his FIRST goal for Nottingham Forest! ⚽⚡ pic.twitter.com/Ni1AMQBydE
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 7, 2024
He's got a couple of goals on his tally now too and has every chance of contributing more during the early stages of 2025. Without the Milenković/Murillo pairing, Forest wouldn't be as high as they are in the Premier League table.
Milenković reads the game well and has no issue operating in a 'safety first' manner. Your job is to defend, make sure you do that to the best of your ability.
Champions League Forest in 25/26? You wouldn't be against it right now.
CB: Nathan Collins
It's been a bizarre year for Brentford...or a great one if you're a home season ticket holder.
The 24/25 campaign sees them top the home standings with seven wins from a possible nine but they are the worst away side in England's top-flight with no wins in eight.
In fact, they've gained just one point from a possible 24 on the road. They don't like travelling.
"How do they do this week in week out" 🤯
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) October 5, 2024
Our early opener courtesy of Nathan Collins 🤌 pic.twitter.com/3wIhNwOc0d
Nathan Collins' performances at the back have been eye-catching and has earned him a spot in our defensive line. The Ireland international is a huge aerial presence.
No Brentford player has won more aerial duels than Collins this season while he sits 7th in this metric among all players in Europe's big five leagues.
He's contributed a couple of goals as well in home wins over Newcastle and Wolves. Considering his form, we can expect the goals to keep coming in 2025.
LB: Josko Gvardiol
A centre-back turned into a left-back who has been scoring goals as a result of that move? Yep, you're in the team.
Josko Gvardiol has returned nine goals for Manchester City since April which is a fantastic return for a player in his position.
We've seen him appearing in advanced positions so often that he basically operates as a winger when City are in attack - he's even contributed two goals during this poor run of form they find themselves in.
In the Premier League this season, his total of 23 shots is the fourth-highest among City players - with the eight on target bettered only by Erling Haaland (he has 38, lol).
I didn't really delve into his defensive numbers too much because frankly, I don't care. He can do what he wants when the attacking returns are this good.
Will he keep this up in 2025? Or will a City relegation campaign hinder his production? Time will tell.
CM: Rodri
I don't quite know why this feels like a controversial selection. It isn't...but it just *feels* like it is.
Rodri helped Spain win Euro 2024 and his efforts were recognised by being named Player of the Tournament. Not only that but he was also awarded the Ballon d'Or at the end of October.
His absence through injury has had a major impact on Manchester City's season which only further underlines his quality and importance to the side.
They desperately need him fit and involved as soon as possible.
CM: James Rodríguez
Hey, you remember James Rodríguez, don't you? You know, him from the 2014 World Cup and *checks notes* Everton Football Club.
Now this is an interesting one because it's not going particularly well for him at Vallecano in Spain BUT I think he definitely deserves inclusion based on his Copa America campaign and I'm going to have to Garth Crooks it a bit by whacking him in at centre mid.
Colombia made the final of the competition - beaten by Argentina in extra-time - and Rodríguez was a big reason as to why they progressed so far in the tournament.
In fact, Rodríguez's Copa America was so good he was awarded the Golden Ball - the best player at the tournament.
Why? He was a creative force. He finished with six assists and a goal to his name with four of his six outings seeing some form of goal involvement.
Those six assists were historic. It saw him surpass the record held by Lionel Messi for most assists in a single edition of the Copa America.
He wouldn't make your standard 'Team of the Year' but that's not what this one's about. He deserves it based on that tournament.
AM: Florian Wirtz
I'll talk more about Bayer Leverkusen's remarkable season shortly but a player needed involvement given the year they've had.
The standout candidate is, of course, Florian Wirtz. He finished last season with 18 goals and 20 assists across all competitions and currently boasts 12 goals and eight assists after 25 games of the current campaign.
Wirtz netted two goals in four starts for Germany at the Euros but it's his club form which has earned him a spot in our side.
He's only 21 years of age as well so there is still plenty more to come from the attacking midfielder, who can also play out wide.
No doubt his name will also be featuring heavily during the January and summer transfer windows of 2025...
RW: Mohamed Salah
Ah, let's not overthink this position, it's got to be Mohamed Salah, hasn't it?
After 24 games of the current season, Salah has 18 goals and 15 assists across all competitions. There's no typo, he has 33 goal involvements in 24 appearances.
There were questions about whether or not Liverpool should move on from the winger and, at points, those questions were more than fair. However, he's clearly answered with performances this season.
Only Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski has more goals in Europe's big five leagues, with no player seeing more assists. It's a staggeringly good level of performance.
So will he or won't he when it comes to extending his Anfield stay? That's a big one that I'm sure you'll find out early into 2025.
ST: Jhon Durán
I love this pick so much because there's absolutely no way I thought I'd be including it if you asked me this time last year.
And frankly, who doesn't love a super sub? That's exactly what Jhon Durán established himself as for Aston Villa in 2024.
He began the 24/25 campaign with four goals across his first five Premier League appearances - none of those were starts - with three to his name in six Champions League games.
Durán netted the memorable winner over Bayern Munich on Matchday 2 of the European competition too, a goal which etched his name in Villa folklore.
Have there been better strikers this year? Sure, but Durán's impact with limited minutes has been a big talking point in the Premier League.
Even more remarkable is how close he came to a move to West Ham in the summer. Just imagine...
LW: Raphinha
There's so much competition in the wide areas but the one name I really wanted to include in this is Raphinha.
Why? Because his transformation in the second-half of 2024 has been remarkable. He's gone from a player who looked as if the dream move to Barcelona wasn't going to quite work out to being captain of the club.
He did finish last season with ten goals and 13 assists so perhaps we're being a little harsh but the Brazil international has found another level under Hansi Flick's guidance.
After 25 games across LaLiga and the Champions League, Raphinha has scored 17 and assisted a further ten. A superb return and an important figure at one of world football's biggest clubs.
No player has created more chances in Europe's 'big five' leagues this season and the gap is quite significant. His 64 is well clear of the next-best in Villarreal's Álex Baena with 52.
Manager: Xabi Alonso
There's not too many other names who have a stronger claim to be involved here.
Xabi Alonso was the one to end Leverkusen's long, long wait to be crowned champions of Germany. 'Neverkusen' no more.
Defeat in the Europa League final meant they just missed out on going an entire season unbeaten. Yes, an entire season unbeaten.
They played 53 games and lost just one of them, and while they've been beaten on a couple of occasions already this season, we simply couldn't avoid recognising Alonso for being the genius behind Leverkusen's transformation.
The inevitable links with Liverpool never became a reality because he did look like the obvious choice to replace the outgoing Jürgen Klopp, although things are going alright for Arne Slot, I suppose.
But Leverkusen are likely to never have a season like the last one again. Alonso will be a club legend forever.
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