Shocking Stars Left Out: PFA Team of the Year's Most Controversial Omissions
The 2025 PFA Premier League Team of the Year has been revealed and it's predictably stirred up controversy among football fans.
Several selections are obvious choices, including Mohamed Salah and Ryan Gravenberch who claimed the Premier League Players' Player and Young Player of the Season honors respectively for the previous campaign, though other picks are more questionable.
There are some significant exclusions in the squad as four members of the traditional 'big six'—Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur—have been completely overlooked, sparking the typical social media uproar.
Here are some of the most glaring omissions from the 2025 PFA Team of the Year.
Marc Cucurella
Former Bournemouth player and new Liverpool acquisition Milos Kerkez occupies the left-back position in the PFA Team of the Year following an outstanding 2024–25 campaign along England's southern coastline. Nevertheless, while the Hungarian impressed for the Cherries last season and secured his transfer to the Premier League winners, there's a case to be made that Marc Cucurella was the league's top left-back.
The Spanish defender was crucial to Chelsea's quest for Champions League qualification and impressed with his adaptability. Beyond being defensively reliable and aggressive in challenges, Cucurella also posted remarkable offensive statistics, netting five goals plus one assist in the Premier League thanks to the attacking freedom granted by Enzo Maresca.
Moisés Caicedo
It's virtually impossible to dispute the inclusion of Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister in the PFA Team of the Year—which seems to be an unbalanced 4-3-3 formation—but one could argue that Moisés Caicedo deserves the final midfield spot more than Declan Rice. Both had strong seasons but Caicedo's displays were potentially more impressive.
Certainly, Rice's offensive contributions are significantly better given his function in the Arsenal setup, but Caicedo's defensive performances were remarkably consistent. He was a vital component in Chelsea's engine room, excelling with his outstanding passing, defensive intelligence and superb ball recovery skills. While not an obvious oversight, he may feel unfairly treated.
Cole Palmer
Following an extraordinarily brilliant first season with Chelsea, Cole Palmer delivered a more standard campaign in 2024–25. The playmaker wasn't at his dazzling peak for most of the season, but has perhaps become a casualty of his own excellence given the enormous expectations placed on the England star.
Palmer still recorded 15 goals and eight assists in the Premier League last season despite declining standards, which represented more goal involvements than all except five players throughout the division. While there may be no clear position for Palmer in this year's selection, his productivity deserves recognition.
Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes's exclusion from the PFA Team of the Year can be primarily blamed on Manchester United's terrible showing in 2024–25. The Portuguese midfielder, as usual, was a beacon of hope for the Red Devils during an exceptionally dark season that saw them finish 15th and humiliate themselves repeatedly.
Fernandes was United's sole bright spot amid the gloom and arguably his contributions are even more impressive considering the struggles and inadequacy of his teammates. The midfielder delivered eight goals and ten assists in the Premier League, figures that rise to 19 goals and 18 assists across all competitions.
Bryan Mbeumo
Bryan Mbeumo is among just two players to receive a Premier League Player of the Season nomination but miss out on the PFA Team of the Year. The Cameroon winger, who has since moved to Manchester United, had an excellent season with Brentford as he registered an impressive 20 goals and seven assists in the Premier League.
Naturally, unseating Salah at right wing was always going to be unrealistic, but considering the flexible positioning in the PFA Team of the Year, Mbeumo could have easily taken Chris Wood's place in the attacking line. Achieving such brilliant numbers while wearing a Brentford jersey shouldn't be overlooked.
Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland has become familiar with award ceremonies since joining Manchester City but the forward was absent from this year's PFA event. Despite finding the net 22 times in the Premier League last season, Wood and Alexander Isak were preferred as traditional strikers in the Team of the Year.
Haaland should regain his place in the lineup by 2026, particularly if City bounce back to their former standards, but the towering Norwegian might feel disappointed to have been left out of the XI. Even during his more modest campaigns, he remains one of the most lethal attacking forces in world football.