UEFA combined XI: The strongest federation?

Midfield

A sensational season for Kevin de Bruyne

N'Golo Kanté could fit into this system effortlessly, sitting in front of the back four and stopping attacks before they reach the final third. Much of Kanté´s work goes unnoticed, as his positional play and sensible use of the ball mean that more creative players in the middle can flourish. Having said that, the Frenchman also has a 90% passing accuracy rate, 71% of which have been forward passes, so he is by no means a passenger when his team have the ball.

In any other Premier League season, Kevin de Bruyne would have been quite comfortably regarded as the player of the season. However, Mo Salah's untouchable form has taken some of the limelight from what has been a stand out year for the Belgian. Still only 26, de Bruyne has scored 8 goals from central midfield for Manchester City this season, a good return, given his role. But he also leads the league in assists with 15, and his general play has been sublime - City are not the same without his influence.

Central midfield, like the goalkeeper, is a position in which Europe has incredible talent in abundance. Choosing a partner to work with Kevin de Bruyne in front of Kanté is no easy task, but this season Isco has really staked his claim as an elite midfielder, 6 goals and 6 assists coming in an unprecedented run in the starting XI of Madrid.

With Luka Modric not having as good a season as usual, and also not getting any younger at 32 years old, Isco may be the creative spark in Madrid´s midfield for years to come. 6 goals and 6 assists with an 89% passing accuracy in the league alone represents a milestone in Isco´s career - and there's no doubting the combination of Isco and de Bruyne in the engine room would be a joy to watch.

Honourable Mentions - Sergio Busquets, Toni Kross, Luka Modric, Thiago Alcantara