La Liga: Ranking the Top 50 Players from 2015/16 Season
A dramatic and exciting season in La Liga came to an end on May 15, with Barcelona being crowned champions, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Villarreal filling the UEFA Champions League spots and Rayo Vallecano, Getafe and Levante being relegated.
We've tracked the games and players in Spain's top flight this season and now present our always hotly contested (and hotly debated!) Liga top 50, our final ranking of all individuals throughout the entire campaign.
Agree or disagree, leave your comments below—and salute the finest players from La Liga after another tremendous season.
Criteria and Mentions
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There are several simple criteria that players must have met to feature in the 50.
Only those who reached 20 league appearances are included, at least 15 of which must have been starts, to ensure each played a reasonably full part in their own club's campaign. That means the likes of Iker Muniain, Arda Turan or Mateo Musacchio are not included, even if their form in the matches they did play warranted consideration.
In addition, we are judging by La Liga form only, so Marc-Andre ter Stegen or others who compete mainly in Europe are not included.
Once players match those rules, they are judged on what they brought to the side individually as well as in a team perspective, and the level of club they play for is also taken into account.
In a league such as Spain's top flight, there are naturally a huge volume of talented players who we could fill many more than 50 spots with, so here are an unranked extra 20 names from the large selection of those who passed the initial cut but were ultimately left short of the top 50.
Honourable Mentions
Mikel San Jose (ATH)
Jonathan Viera (LPA)
Roberto Trashorras (RAY)
Sergi Roberto (FCB)
Yannick Carrasco (ATM)
Jefferson Lerma (LEV)
Youssef El Arabi (GRA)
Marcelo (RMA)
Marco Asensio (ESP)
Jorge Mere (SPO)
Borja Baston (EIB)
Javier Mascherano (FCB)
Benat (ATH)
Diego Llorente (RAY)
Pablo Sarabia (GET)
Fabian Orellana (CEL)
Carlos Kameni (MGA)
Yevhen Konoplyanka (SEV)
Diego Reyes (RSO)
Keko (EIB)
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50. Andres Fernandez, GRA—Erratic but a fantastic shot-stopper, Andres Fernandez kept Granada in many games and more than played his part in their survival.
49. Jony, SPO—An exciting and explosive player down the left, Jony was one of Sporting Gijon's heroes and a standout player throughout the season.
48. Claudio Bravo, FCB—Barcelona's last line of defence didn't have his greatest ever season, but Claudio Bravo still had to perform extremely well in a number of games to keep his team winning.
47. Cedric Bakambu, VIL—Cedric Bakambu scored a dozen goals in his maiden Liga campaign, and it would have been more had he started more regularly. Boasting pace and power, the Villarreal man will be in demand over summer.
46. Fernando Torres, ATM—What a finish to the season for Fernando Torres. The veteran striker wouldn't have been a consideration in January, but from February onward, he scored at a greater rate than Lionel Messi. The Spaniard was pivotal to Atletico Madrid's title push.
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45. Roque Mesa, LPA—Twenty-six-year-old Roque Mesa was rock in midfield for Las Palmas and one of the catalysts for their big improvement over the second half of the season.
44. Petros, BET—Real Betis' ball-winner and counter-attack instigator, Petros mixes aggression and technique and has been a good find for the newcomers.
43. Pepe, RMA—Pepe was Real Madrid's best centre-back by quite some distance this season, as it turns out. The Portuguese's rashness was replaced by awareness and excellent cover work in the second half of the season.
42. Mikel Oyarzabal, RSO—Mikel Oyarzabal was a real breakthrough player for Real Sociedad, and the left winger will go from strength to strength next season. The 19-year-old is fast, hard working and great at attacking the far post.
41. Alphonse Areola, VIL—Paris Saint-Germain loanee Alphonse Areola was one of the best goalkeepers in La Liga during the middle third of the season for Villarreal. He provided lots of clean sheets and earned a valuable year's experience.
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40. Daniel Wass, CEL—Daniel Wass filled the hole in Celta Vigo's midfield left by the departed Michael Krohn-Dehli with some style. Effective at winning the ball then surging forward, he was a constant supply line to the attack.
39. Alfred N'Diaye, BET—Alongside Petros, Alfred N'Diaye was the defensive shield for Betis. The Senegal international was very good in challenging and ushering the ball out of danger zones, and he had the athleticism to surge forward late on.
38. Timothee Kolodziejczak, SEV—Frenchman Timothee Kolodziejczak was Sevilla's most important defender. He showed great form for a period when his partner was constantly changing, and his side could have done with one or two more players with Kolo's consistency.
37. Lucas Perez, DEP—The star of Deportivo La Coruna's immense first half of the season, Lucas Perez mixed hard work with a lethal finish and hit 17 Liga goals overall, despite a drop-off in 2016.
36. Asier Illarramendi, RSO—Former Real Madrid midfielder Asier Illarramendi was worth re-signing for Real Sociedad last summer. Illarra has shown good consistency and quality, shielding the defence and using the ball well from deep in a team that can lack invention.
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35. Oscar de Marcos, ATH—Atheltic Bilbao's Oscar de Marcos has been revitalised at right-back and has played a key role in his side's eventual fifth-place finish. The 27-year-old was one of the more consistent members of the team and deservedly received a call-up for Spain.
34. Ruben Castro, BET—It was a wonderful season for 34-year-old Ruben Castro, who scored 19 goals for Betis yet received next to no attention for it. He was a leader from the front and a vital part of the team.
33. Ignacio Camacho, MGA—Malaga's Ignacio Camacho was injured for the first half of the year but exceptional for the second. That injury has cost him a place in Spain's UEFA Euro 2016 squad, but the 26-year-old was mesmerising at times for Malaga. He's a destroyer, a surger and is underrated in the air.
32. Roberto Soldado, VIL—As a creative and linking second-striker for Villarreal this season, Roberto Soldado didn't score much but was vital for the team's buildup play. The 30-year-old was often aggressive to a fault but also relentlessly hard-working.
31. Nolito, CEL—Nolito missed a spell out injured for Celta and didn't quite hit the heights he's capable of afterward, but his first half of the season was exceptional. Few can dip infield from the flanks and create danger like the 29-year-old.
30. Koke, ATM
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Into the top 30 we go, and we start with Atletico Madrid's Koke.
The versatile midfielder would only have been a consideration for a top-50 place back in winter, but his final three months or so of the season saw him become one of La Liga's finest.
Never has Koke's work rate been in question, but he didn't reach his best levels until after the turn of the year in terms of dominating matches, finding his creative side and linking properly with the strikers.
Koke notched 14 assists for the season overall, and it's not a coincidence that 10 of them came from February onward.
29. Gabi, ATM
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Just ahead of Koke is team-mate Gabi, who was a consistently impressive presence in the centre of the park for Atletico.
A fully functioning all-round midfielder at his best, Gabi showed the ability to break play up at one end, surge forward at pace and play a killer ball into the attacking penalty area.
He's not as individually skilled as Koke, perhaps—and certainly not as much impact in the final third—but consistent levels of performance win out in the race against a dip with a higher peak.
28. Gerard Pique, FCB
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Gerard Pique picked up another league title, plenty of media controversy and three separate suspensions over the course of the season.
Somewhere along the way, he also managed to put in some extraordinarily good performances at centre-back, leading the Barcelona attack from the deepest possible position and using his pace, reading of the game and appreciation of space to stop opponents' attacks.
The 29-year-old is a divisive figure at times, but there's simply no doubting his quality on the ball, even if he wasn't quite as good as last season, perhaps.
27. Augusto Fernandez, CEL and ATM
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Augusto Fernandez would have been ranked higher on just his Celta Vigo form, and a little lower on just his Atletico Madrid form.
He took a few games to find his feet after a January switch to the Vicente Calderon, but the Argentinian ended up as one of the more reliable and important players in a tactical sense. At Balaidos, however, he was the most important player bar none.
Celta lacked organisation and defensive cover, and Augusto was capable of filling gaps, challenging against counter-attacks and starting moves from deep—they badly missed him when he departed.
26. Iago Aspas, CEL
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Iago Aspas made a great start to life back at Celta Vigo this season and was largely impressive throughout the year, scoring and creating chances as he spearheaded the attack.
On occasions he was shifted out to the right side to cut in, but his best performances certainly came from playing as centre-forward, netting 14 all told.
An immaculate first touch, good work rate and the vision to play quick passes and move into space made Aspas a real threat in attack, and he's another whose contribution to the season overall has been somewhat overlooked, even as Celta finished in the top six.
25. Ever Banega, SEV
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Sevilla have disappointed in La Liga overall this season, but from the small handful of impressive individuals, Ever Banega remains near the top.
The playmaker has played both centrally and more advanced, and it was in the latter role where he excelled most often. His passes from midfield into the channels gave Sevilla's counter-attack and wide threats plenty of ammunition to work with in the channels, while his set pieces remain on-point as ever.
It seems as though he's off to Inter Milan, as Nerazzurri boss Roberto Mancini suggested in an interview on Italian radio channel Gr Parlamento (h/t Football Italia), and Sevilla will miss him next term.
24. Bruno Soriano, VIL
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Villarreal's captain and midfield maestro Bruno Soriano has dictated play from the centre all season long in a manner befitting a top-four finish.
He and his team will play in the UEFA Champions League next season thanks to an excellent campaign, for which Bruno can take much of the credit thanks to his composed, creative and demanding performances.
Equally impressive protecting the defence, winning the ball back or spreading play forward, Bruno also came up with a few vital goals along the way from set pieces, and he was rewarded for his excellent form with a call-up to Spain's provisional Euro 2016 squad.
23. Kevin Gameiro, SEV
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Banega supplied the passes from deep, but it was Kevin Gameiro who kept Sevilla's season at least vaguely on track by scoring the chances that came his way.
The French striker netted 16 in La Liga in the end, most either predatory strikes from close range or else his particularly specialist type: runs into the channel and a shot across the 'keeper.
Gameiro was an outlet on the counter, caused danger simply by being in good positions and had the pace to make up for a lack of threat elsewhere from Sevilla.
22. Karim Benzema, RMA
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Had Karim Benzema been fit and available for the entire season, Real Madrid could have gone even closer to the title, and he could have pushed for the Pichichi award—that's how effective he was in his time on the pitch.
Unfortunately for Real and the Frenchman, he didn't even tick over 2,000 minutes of league action thanks to a succession of injury issues scattered throughout the campaign, resulting in 24 goals.
His hold-up play, linking with the wide forwards and capacity to find space inside the penalty box is up on par with any striker in world football, and Real Madrid will be hard pressed to find a suitable replacement if they eventually decide to part ways with Benzema.
21. Casemiro, RMA
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Another who played a key role in Real Madrid's season in the part he did feature for was midfielder Casemiro, though he was underutilised in the campaign as a whole.
The Brazilian offered a vital balance between the offensive-minded members of the team and the fractured, unconvincing defence—his athleticism and awareness lets him cover and break up play while also having the technique in his game to be a starting point for possession from deep.
Maybe one day Real, as an entire club, will accept they need a player of this type to regularly win the top honours.
20. Mario Gaspar, VIL
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Into the top 20 and our first couple of names can feel aggrieved at being left off Spain's Euro 2016 squad list.
Villarreal had one of the best defensive records in La Liga this season and right-back Mario Gaspar was a huge part of that, mixing his solidity at the back with a phenomenal capacity to break forward, link play and even be a danger from the edge of the box.
He made the Spain squad through the year on merit but missed the final selection—undeservedly, it has to be said.
19. Victor Ruiz, VIL
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If Mario feels aggrieved to have missed out, that goes double for Victor Ruiz, comfortably the best Spanish centre-back in La Liga this season yet never even in with a shout of a spot in La Seleccion.
Ruiz was monstrous at the back for Villarreal and consistent in his organisation despite a rotating cast of partners in the middle. His heading and ability to win the ball in dangerous areas was impressive, but more surprising was his capacity to start attacks by suddenly surging 40 yards through midfield with the ball at his feet.
The Yellow Submarine struck gold with the signing of Ruiz, and consistency will be key to him earning rightful international recognition next year once Vicente del Bosque departs the Spain job.
18. Andres Iniesta, FCB
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The captain who lifted the league trophy, Andres Iniesta put in another top season for Barcelona to dictate play, spark invention and from time to time show the incredible footwork and control that made him one of the world's best players.
Iniesta frequently found himself rotated or substituted by Luis Enrique to preserve his energy across six competitions, so it's hard to rank him any higher, but for the time he was on the pitch, he was frequently the reference point for the team's attacking impetus.
A genuine legend of Spanish football.
17. Aritz Aduriz, ATH
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We're only factoring into account his Liga exploits in this top 50, but it's still worth noting: At 35 years of age, Aritz Aduriz scored 34 goals in 54 matches across all competitions for Athletic Club.
An impressive 18 of those strikes came in La Liga, making him the top-scoring Spaniard and seeing him rewarded with a spot in their Euro 2016 squad. The Basque forward is a powerhouse in the air, brings others into play by dropping deep and is a sure bet from the penalty spot.
Tactically vital to his team's style of play, the veteran is as aggressive and combative as ever and yet maintained the composure needed at the key times to send his side fifth at the end of the season.
16. Filipe Luis, ATM
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Atletico Madrid's left-back Filipe Luis struggled initially on his return to La Liga, taking a good two months or so to rediscover his feet and form after a season in England with Chelsea.
After that, it was an upward trend. From the turn of the calendar year, he was perhaps the best full-back in La Liga, raiding forward to great effect down the flank, providing delivery into the box and never shirking his defensive duties.
Cultured in possession, aggressive in stopping crosses and positionally aware, he was a real force for Atleti.
15. Gareth Bale, RMA
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Two irritatingly timed injuries disrupted Gareth Bale's season and, like team-mate Benzema, he could have been much better overall without them—but it doesn't change the fact Bale had a very good season, far greater than the national media appeared willing to give him credit for over a period.
Bale started the season central as a No. 10 under Rafa Benitez, surging into space and providing shooting opportunities from range, before reverting to a wide threat under Zinedine Zidane.
Across winter he was a standout for Real, hitting 11 goals and four assists in eight matches at one point, and it was Bale who single-handedly maintained the title challenge late on when his usual front-line sidekicks were out injured. Bale averaged a goal every 91 minutes during the league season.
14. Saul Niguez, ATM
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A phenomenal rise for Saul Niguez across the season began with him unable to get off the bench for six of the first 11 league matches for Atletico Madrid yet end the campaign as their best midfielder, most important attacking threat from deep and in the preliminary Spain Euro 2016 squad.
His power and aggression on the ball, along with a wonderful touch and vision to spot a pass, made him a catalyst for Atleti's more offensive outlook after the new year, while his tactical importance cannot be understated. He played six different roles during the season, scored four times in La Liga and cemented his place to the extent that he started 24 of the last 26 league matches.
Saul has been the best young Spanish player around this season, all things considered, and he is a must-have in Del Bosque's final 23.
13. Sergio Busquets, FCB
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Like team-mate Pique, Sergio Busquets perhaps didn't quite hit the heights of last season in 2015-16, but part of that can be attributed to a long run his team went on that utterly dominated and destroyed the opposition, lessening his need to impact on matches.
Quietly effective even when not called upon to be at his defensive best, Busquets nevertheless had plenty of matches where he had to show why he has been the world's best holding midfielder and rarely came up short.
His form suffered early in the season, but he was soon on the up and has again been near-indispensable for Luis Enrique.
12. Keylor Navas, RMA
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Our third-highest rated player for Real Madrid this season, Keylor Navas overcame a difficult summer to show why Los Blancos fans were so pleased to keep him.
The Costa Rican was nothing short of spectacular for the first two months of the campaign, keeping his team in games single-handedly at times (well, double-handedly since he's a goalkeeper) with a succession of improbable reaction stops.
His form dipped mid-season, but he again finished the year strongly, and many would favour his style of reactionary goalkeeping as the best in La Liga.
11. Jan Oblak, ATM
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For us, though, a proactive and complete goalkeeper is always going to be the better pick, and that's exactly what Jan Oblak of Atletico Madrid was.
Along with the reactions and reflex saves when required, Oblak also brought his enormous presence and vastly assured handling to the party, claiming crosses and utterly dominating his penalty area to stop many opponents' attacks before they even created a shooting chance.
Oblak equalled the record for La Liga to end the season conceding an average of 0.47 goals per match, keeping 24 clean sheets from his 38 matches and conceding just 18.
10. Juanfran, ATM
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Continuing with the theme of Atletico's defensive stars, right-back Juanfran was an understated but pivotal figure throughout the season.
He began the campaign in magnificent form in both halves of the pitch, offering a genuine outlet in attack without compromising his defensive responsibilities.
He reverted to a more safety-first approach for much of the middle third, but late on in the year, he was on the front foot more often than not to provide support and supply line to the attack.
The Atletico stalwart plays a hugely influential role on the team with his composure, experience and determination; he's rarely beaten one-on-one and is as reliable a player as can be found in Spain.
9. Jose Gimenez, ATM
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Uruguayan centre-back Jose Gimenez made the position his own in the second half of last season and solidified that this year, ferociously defending his team's goal throughout the campaign.
Committed and aggressive to the point of putting his entire body on the line when required, Gimenez isn't just a clogging clearer of the ball—he showed many times just how much his awareness, timing and ability to cover in behind has improved this year.
Gimenez is one of the world's finest defenders already, arguably the best young centre-back anywhere this season, and he rightfully holds a place in the top 10.
8. Ivan Rakitic, FCB
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If Barcelona have any underappreciated players, Ivan Rakitic probably fits the bill.
The Croatian rarely has anything less than an impressive and effective game, dominating the centre to take possession, move the ball on and surge into spaces to keep the angles available and the opposition on the back foot.
He didn't surge into the box quite as much this season as he did in his debut year, but when he did so, it was often to splendid and important effect, as goals against the likes of Villarreal and Real Betis told in the latter part of the season. Rakitic netted nine times in La Liga.
7. Diego Godin, ATM
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Unsurprisingly our top-ranked defender, Atletico Madrid's Diego Godin was as monstrous as ever in defence after a slightly dodgy start to the year.
The leader at the back for Los Rojiblancos and a dominant character on the ground and aerially, Godin is rarely bested by a forward thanks to his focus and timing in the challenge. Intensely committed and a driving force from deep when his team are on the back foot, it's a surprise that Godin only managed to score once this term.
He suffered injuries in the latter part of the season and will be critical for Atleti's hopes of winning the Champions League final.
6. Antoine Griezmann, ATM
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The highest-ranked Atletico Madrid player, and indeed the highest-ranked non-Real Madrid or Barcelona player.
Antoine Griezmann netted 22 Liga goals for the second season running and was fantastic for his side both as an outlet and a focal point for the attack.
His speed, control and movement inside the box made him impossible to control at times; Griezmann hit two unstoppable spells of form that kept Atleti in the title fight, and his versatility in operating centrally, deeper or from the flank make him an all-round threat for his team.
5. Lionel Messi, FCB
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Into the top five we go, and first up is Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi.
The phenomenal Argentinian talent has at times shown just why he is regarded as the world's best player by many, but there's no doubting from even his most fervent admirer that 2015-16 overall was not his peak season.
Injury and a couple of drop-offs in form prevented him from reaching those heights—but thankfully for fans of his game, he had plenty of other top moments.
Creative from the flank, unstoppable in finding space when he dropped deep and central and still with the capacity to notch 26 goals of his own, Messi still sent Barcelona toward the title with his mix of talents in a series of irrepressible displays, particularly just after the turn of the year when he hit probably his peak of the season.
4. Cristiano Ronaldo, RMA
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If Messi didn't hit his absolute best level all season long, nor did his long-term rival Cristiano Ronaldo. It's almost as though they push each other on, isn't it?
Ronaldo had a very slow start to the season, not quite living up to expectations as Real Madrid made a good start to the campaign, but as his work rate improved, so too did his goal return.
The No. 7 was explosive and a real leader in attack after the turn of the year and again in the run-in for the title challenge, ending the season with close to a goal per game, finishing on 35.
There was brief talk earlier in the season over whether, at 31 years of age, Ronaldo's most lethal days were behind him; 19 league goals from his last 15 games suggests that's probably not the case quite yet.
3. Luka Modric, RMA
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Top of the charts for Real Madrid and the highest-rated midfielder by some distance, Luka Modric was nothing short of incredible this season.
In a team that lacked structure, work rate or balance in midfield for far too long, the Croatian at times ran the show by himself, doing the work of two players as he worked tirelessly to help win back the ball and be the biggest creative threat in attack.
Modric was simply sublime, an absolute credit to the team and his role with his work rate, quality, touch and technique. Now, with Modric and Rakitic as La Liga's two highest-rated midfielders, who likes the look of Croatia at the Euros...
2. Neymar, FCB
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Brazilian forward Neymar doesn't have the strike rate of a Benzema, Bale or Ronaldo, but in buildup play, supporting the attack and coming up with game-changing moments, he beat all three this season.
Neymar finished the season on a bit of a down turn, but that doesn't mean his earlier performances are forgotten: Early in the season, and for a period while Messi was injured, Neymar put in a stream of games that were of the highest quality La Liga saw all season long and was arguably the best on the planet at the time.
Without his peak form, Barcelona perhaps would have struggled to retain the title, and it's forgivable that he had a drop-off following that spell. Even so, all told, he was superb for his team this season and played a full role in them winning La Liga.
1. Luis Suarez, FCB
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We've reached No. 1, and the best player overall in Spain this season was Barcelona's Luis Suarez.
The Uruguayan striker was utterly irrepressible, moving up at least one level from his previous astonishing highs to find consistency in his finishing, an even more reliable big-game mentality and the amazing link play, work rate and individual skill that has long been part of his repertoire.
As cool, fortunate and determined in the box as any top-class striker needs to be, Suarez wrapped up the Pichichi award by hitting 40 goals in 35 games, an amazing average of one every 79 minutes that included no less than six hat-tricks, two of which were four-goal hauls in successive matches.
Luis Suarez, La Liga's finest.
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.jpg?w=600 "Heisman candidate goes undrafted, accepts camp invite")
