Yamal and Endrick top ESPN’s January Players of the Month list.
The ESPN Player of the Month accolade, now in its fourth iteration, honors the most exceptional players from the leading five European leagues. Following editions in October, November, and December, this month recognizes the standout performers of January, marking the beginning of the 2026 calendar year.
In Ligue 1, Brazilian international Endrick has made just two appearances with Lyon, yet that was sufficient for him to secure the top position.
In the Premier League, another Brazilian claimed the top spot: Brentford’s Igor Thiago. The forward surpassed the league’s prominent players and rightfully earned his position, netting five goals.
In LaLiga, Barcelona’s young talent Lamine Yamal was honored for the first time. The Spanish forward’s previous best finish had been third place in November.
Additionally, ESPN recognized the standout players from Serie A and Bundesliga, respectively.
How does it work?
The process is straightforward: Three ESPN journalists from various countries cast their votes for the best-performing players in each league. Each month, every expert selects their top three players from that league. The player in third place receives three points, the second place earns five, and the first place gets ten. Thus, the highest a player can achieve is 30 points if all three experts name them the best player of the month in that league.
In the event of a tie, the deciding factor for the top player is the number of first-place votes received.
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LIGUE 1: ENDRICK
Forward | Lyon and Brazil | 19 years old | 20 points
The French league has a new star: Endrick. The Brazilian made his Ligue 1 debut for Lyon on January 18 and has already been named Player of the Month, despite having participated in only two matches.
In his first match against Brest, he provided an assist in their 2-1 win. In the second match, he was pivotal in the 5-2 victory over Metz, scoring a hat trick.
Loaned by Real Madrid to the French club for the remainder of the season, Endrick has shown no signs of pressure at his new club and appears quite at ease, eager to demonstrate to Carlo Ancelotti that he merits a call-up to the Brazil national team.
Lyon supporters are enthusiastic about the potential contributions of the 19-year-old to the club.
Second place:
‐ Ousmane Dembélé: FW, Paris Saint-Germain (20 points)
Third place:
‐ (tie) Martial Godo: FW, Strasbourg
‐ Wesley Saïd: FW, Lens
‐ Pavel Sulc: MF, Lyon (3 points)
BUNDESLIGA: MICHAEL OLISE
Winger | Bayern Munich and France | 24 years old | 23 points
The standout performer in the Bundesliga for January was Michael Olise, the attacking midfielder for Bayern Munich.
In five matches, the Frenchman scored three goals and provided eight assists. He made significant contributions in every game as Bayern secured three wins, suffered one loss, and recorded one draw.
It is no surprise that Bayern leads the league with 51 points, ahead of Borussia Dortmund, who sit in second with 45. Olise has been in excellent form since last year, finishing third in ESPN’s Player of the Month voting in December.
The 24-year-old was acquired by the German club in mid-2024 from Crystal Palace in England.
Second place:
‐ Andrej Kramaric: FW, Hoffenheim (15 points)
Third place:
‐ Alexis Claude-Maurice: FW, Augsburg (10 points)
SERIE A: LAUTARO MARTÍNEZ
Center Forward | Internazionale and Argentina | 28 years old | 20 points
In Serie A, Lautaro Martínez made a significant impact. The Inter striker garnered attention, amassing 20 points and being named Player of the Month.
Inter, who are at the top of the league with 55 points, played six matches in January, winning five and drawing one. Martínez scored three goals, finding the net against Bologna, Udinese, and Pisa.
The 28-year-old Argentine is a crucial player for the club, having joined from Racing Club in 2018.
Second place:
‐ Mike Maignan: GK, AC Milan (13 points)
Third place:
‐ Federico Dimarco: DF, Inter (10 points)
LALIGA: LAMINE YAMAL
Right Winger | Barcelona and Spain | 18 years old | 20 points
After three consecutive appearances on the ESPN’s Player of the Month podium, Lamine Yamal finally secured his position as LaLiga’s standout player for January. The young Spaniard, at just 18 years old, has long been recognized as a player to watch, and he demonstrated his talent in the first month of 2026.
In four matches, he scored two goals and provided one assist. He found the net against Real Oviedo in a 3-0 victory and against Elche in a 3-1 win.
Yamal accumulated 20 out of a possible 30 points in the ESPN-organized poll. The No. 10’s performances have helped Barcelona maintain their lead in LaLiga with 55 points, just ahead of their rivals, Real Madrid, who have 54.
Second place:
‐ Mikel Oyarzabal: FW, Real Sociedad (18 points)
Third place:
‐ Kylian Mbappé: FW, Real Madrid (8 points)
PREMIER LEAGUE: IGOR THIAGO
Brentford and Brazil | 24 years old | 20 points
A Brazilian shines in the Premier League!
Brentford forward Igor Thiago emerged as the standout player for January in the league. At 24 years old, he has attracted attention and is the second-highest scorer in the competition with 16 goals, trailing only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, who has 20.
In Brentford’s five matches, Igor Thiago netted two goals. He achieved a hat trick in the 4-2 victory over Everton and added two more goals in the 3-0 win against Sunderland.
Much of the team’s success, which has them positioned seventh with 36 points, can be attributed to Igor Thiago’s performance. Discovered by Verê from Paraná, he began his professional career with Cruzeiro, later playing for Ludogorets Razgrad in Bulgaria and Club Brugge in Belgium before joining the English club in 2024.
His performances have drawn the attention of Ancelotti’s coaching staff, who are monitoring him for a potential spot in the Brazil national team.
Second place:
‐ Antoine Semenyo: FW, Bournemouth/Manchester City (13 points)
Third place:
– Florian Wirtz, MF, Liverpool (8 points)
