So another La Liga campaign has come and gone and now all eyes are on the World Cup which is set to start in two weeks’ time.
Plenty of Primera Division stars will be centre stage in Canada, Mexico and the USA, and Spain and France are carrying the hopes of Europe in what will be the biggest World Cup of all time, with 48 nations participating for the first time. But the Spanish top flight is sure to provide at least two of the biggest names who will write the headlines in June and July; the statistics say they are the best in the business. So let’s take a look at the three players who the numbers say had the biggest impacts in the Primera Division this year.
Mbappe takes the Pichichi
With 25 goals, Kylian Mbappe made it back-to-back Pichichis, adding this accolade to the 2025 European Golden Shoe he won. Mbappe will also pick up his second Champions League top scorer award with 15 goals this year, beating Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane by one, though this is assuming PSG’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia doesn’t score five when the reigning champions meet Arsenal in the final in Budapest on Saturday!
Mbappe was also the Ligue 1 top scorer for six seasons prior to his arrival in Spain, and he stands alone as a Real Madrid player at the top of his game in a disappointing season for Los Blancos. As the Blaugrana won back-to-back La Liga titles there were a plethora of Barcelona players in the leading pack of top scorers, Ferran Torres, Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski were all in the top ten. But Mbappe’s biggest challenge came from two less likely sources, Real Mallorca’s Vedat Muriqi who scored 23 and Osasuna’s Ante Budimir, who eventually fell off the pace to finish third with 17.
Muriqi bagged the third in Mallorca’s 3-0 win over Real Oviedo last week, a result which could not save the Islanders from relegation and now the 32-year-old Kosovan striker may be ready to move. He’s bagged 52 goals in 130 games for Mallorca since his transfer from Lazio in 2022 and, as Mallorca’s record La Liga goalscorer he will be in demand, and I wouldn’t rule out a move to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Yamal leads the Barca charge
With 11 assists, Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal teed up the most goals in the Primera Division and, alongside France’s Mbappe I expect him to take the World Cup by storm, and it’s amazing to think that with over 100 games for Barcelona Yamal is still only 18 years old. The SBOTOP La Liga 2026 betting odds long said the title was an El Clasico tussle, but the Blaugrana pulled away in the final weeks as Yamal led a team bursting with creative muscle. Fermin Lopez and the returning Pedri made nine assists each. Pedri looks back to his best in midfield and has been given the captain’s armband by manager Hansi Flick.
Elsewhere, Getafe’s Luis Milla made ten assists to help his team win European football, and he scored the goal against Osasuna which confirmed seventh place for his club, while Real Madrid’s young Turkish star, Arda Guler made nine assists.
Guler and Pedri will be at the World Cup too and they have hit form at the perfect time for Turkey and Spain, while the talent of Yamal also makes La Roja the favourites to lift the World Cup title in July.
Garcia is the shutout king
Joan Garcia’s switch from Catalan neighbours Espanyol to Barcelona last summer went a little under the radar of the La Liga 2026 news headlines but the 25-year-old has played a huge part in the Blaugrana’s league success. At 6ft 4in he’s a commanding figure and with 15 clean sheets, Garcia has been the most effective keeper in the league when it comes to shutouts. A superb shot stopper who commands his area and has excellent distribution, Garcia is the perfect modern keeper and he has been a model of consistency as the last line of defence at the Spotify Camp Nou.
At 34 years of age, Thibaut Courtois has retaken his place back in the Real Madrid nets and he kept 13 clean sheets. The 6ft 7in Belgian stopper has had his injury problem but he remains a world-class keeper who will hope to help Belgium to a big performance in North America.
Another experienced campaigner recorded the third highest number of clean sheets and helped his team to a European slot in 2026/27. David Soria recorded his 12th clean sheet of the season in Getafe’s final day win over Osasuna as the club look forward to a Europa Conference League campaign in 2026/27.
An academy player with Real Madrid, the 33-year-old has been with Getafe since 2018 and he deserves another season in the sun.
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