Vitinha, the 25-year-old midfielder for Paris Saint-Germain and Portugal, was named Person of the Year 2025 by the newspaper A Bola. This provided an opportunity for him to answer questions from the paper. He was notably asked to discuss PSG being the “best team” in the world and to reflect on his individual performance.
Vitinha: “We can say without hesitation that PSG is the team of the moment.”
“PSG, the best team? I think so. We’re doing this interview at the end of the year, with the benefit of hindsight. We can say without hesitation that PSG is the team of the moment, the team of the year. But you always have to prove it! This month, we had to prove it in December. If we hadn’t won the Intercontinental Cup, the situation would be very different.
Because that’s how it is, we have to constantly prove it in the league, in the Champions League, the Intercontinental Cup, the Super Cup, the Cup, it doesn’t matter.” So, if you ask me again in a week, maybe I won’t think so anymore. For now, I’d say yes. At least, for one of the current teams, which is among the best.
Vitinha: “It’s been an incredible year, both collectively and individually.”
“Personally, it’s been a near-perfect period. It would be a bit ungrateful not to say perfect, because there was that Club World Cup final, where we reached the final, but apart from that, it was… It was perfect.
I played an important role within this very successful team. I felt important, I felt I had a big influence on the team, and it was the same with the national team. When that happens, it’s perfect. It’s been an incredible year, both collectively and individually.”
We know this can be an endless debate, because it’s difficult to get everyone to agree. Attachment to a team always influences one’s opinion. Perhaps Vitinha is exaggerating a little about PSG’s level, but it’s hard to tell. It seems fair to say, however, that PSG is at least among the best teams of the year.
Winning the Champions League and the Intercontinental Cup, in addition to reaching the Club World Cup final, is quite remarkable. Not to mention their strong start to the 2025-2026 European campaign. There’s always room for improvement, but Paris is among the very best, having had a historic year. Joining Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona as the only clubs to achieve a sextuple is no accident.
As for Vitinha, he has every reason to be proud of his 2025. With Portugal and PSG, he has established himself as a key player. His national team often performs well, and Paris has impressed. Playing a significant role in that is truly remarkable. Now, the challenge is to establish ourselves at this level over the long term. That’s perhaps the most difficult thing.
