Grimaldo and a Bayern duo in the ESM team for November

No one could get anywhere near Kylian Mbappé this time, not by a long way.

The Real Madrid superstar dominated the European Sports Media voting for the ESM Team of the Month for November, collecting nine votes from the participating partner outlets. With that tally, the French forward walked into the top eleven without any real competition, his inclusion a reflection of a month in which he was decisive almost every time he stepped onto the pitch.

A big part of Mbappé’s case came from his spectacular four goal performance in the Champions League away to Olympiakos Piraeus, a wild 4-3 victory for Real Madrid. On a night when Madrid needed a leader, he took full responsibility in the penalty area, scoring in different ways and constantly stretching the Greek side’s back line. Add to that his brace for France in World Cup qualifying against Ukraine and you have a player who was not only prolific at club level but also central to his national team in a key qualification window. Across domestic and international fixtures, his influence in November was as much about presence and personality as about statistics.

The only player who came remotely close to Mbappé in the voting was Erling Haaland of Manchester City, who collected six votes. The Norwegian forward also enjoyed an outstanding month, underlining once again why he is regarded as one of the most dangerous centre forwards in world football. He scored twice in World Cup qualifying against Estonia and added another brace in Italy, further strengthening Norway’s position in their group. For Manchester City, he continued to be the main focal point in attack, finding the net in several matches, including a Champions League meeting with Dortmund in which his movement and power caused constant problems for his former club. Taken together, those performances made Haaland an automatic choice for many of the ESM jurors.

Behind the two headline forwards the race for places in the November team was much tighter, and this is where the Bundesliga made its presence felt. Three players from the German top flight squeezed into the elite selection. Alejandro Grimaldo of Bayer Leverkusen continued his outstanding season with another month of goals, assists and inventive attacking play from left back or wing back. His regular involvement in Leverkusen’s build up, set pieces and final passes convinced three media outlets to give him their vote.

The other two Bundesliga representatives come from Bayern. Michael Olise has quickly adapted to life in Munich, bringing creativity between the lines, dribbling ability and a threat cutting inside from wide areas. Luis Diaz, meanwhile, provided penetration on the flank, direct running at defenders and important contributions in terms of goals and assists. Both Bayern men, like Grimaldo, received three votes each, a sign that their performances were widely recognised across Europe, even if not as unanimously as Mbappé’s.

Premier League leaders Arsenal enjoy the strongest collective representation in this ESM eleven, with four players included. In goal, David Raya secured his place with four votes. He benefited from a very tight decision, since AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan also collected four votes, but the Gunners keeper ultimately made the final cut. His calm distribution under pressure, command of the penalty area and a series of important saves in high tension matches impressed many observers.

In front of Raya, Jurrien Timber received five votes after a month in which he combined defensive reliability with comfort on the ball, stepping into midfield when needed and helping Arsenal control matches from the back. William Saliba, who earned three votes, brought the same qualities that have become his trademark: physical strength, composure in duels and intelligent positioning. Declan Rice, also with three votes, anchored the midfield with a blend of defensive work, ball recoveries and forward drives that have made him one of the most complete midfielders in Europe this season. Together, this Arsenal quartet paints the picture of a team that is not only effective in results but also convincing in individual performances across several lines.

The final two names to complete the eleven come from La Liga and Ligue 1. Atletico Madrid defender José María Gimenez is included as the classic defensive warrior, a player who thrives in physical contests, wins aerial battles and gives leadership in the back line. His performances in November were a reminder of how important he remains for Diego Simeone’s approach, both in terms of defensive aggression and mentality. PSG midfielder Vitinha takes one of the remaining spots as the link between defence and attack, dictating tempo with his passing, carrying the ball through midfield and contributing creativity in the final third for the French champions.

In total, ten media outlets took part in this round of voting organised by European Sports Media, among them the German magazine kicker. Each outlet submitted its own best eleven for November, and the final ESM team is built from those individual selections using a points system based on the number of times each player appears. Mbappé’s near clean sweep, with nine of a possible ten votes, underlines just how dominant he was in the eyes of observers across the continent. Interestingly, the only publication that did not include the Real Madrid forward was Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, which chose a different attacking configuration.

The November ESM Team of the Month therefore offers a snapshot of European football at a specific moment in the 2025 season. Mbappé and Haaland continue to define the standard at the very top, Arsenal’s strong block reflects the club’s progress under its current project, the Bundesliga is represented by three high performing players from Leverkusen and Bayern, and individual standouts from Atletico and PSG round out a line up that combines star power with form. For the players involved, selection in this kind of pan European eleven is both a recognition of recent performances and another line on a growing list of honours in what is shaping up to be a highly competitive campaign across the major leagues.