Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo continue to garner respect and admiration from their peers, even after departing European club football. The two football icons, aged 37 and 39 respectively, were the sole non-European club players included in the 26-man shortlist for the FIFPRO World XI. This prestigious team of the year is selected by the global players’ union.
The remaining 24 shortlisted players were affiliated with clubs in England, Germany, Spain, or France during the previous year. Interestingly, Kylian Mbappé was the sole representative from French football, having played the last season at Paris Saint-Germain.
Conspicuously absent were players from Italian clubs, as well as those from South American or African teams.
Real Madrid dominated the shortlist with eight players, including Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, and Jude Bellingham. Manchester City followed closely with seven nominees, including Ballon d’Or recipient Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne, and Erling Haaland.
Lamine Yamal, Barcelona’s 17-year-old rising star who shone brightly during Spain’s European Championship triumph, also earned a place on the shortlist, thanks to votes from union members worldwide.
Messi, now showcasing his talents in Major League Soccer with Inter Miami, and Ronaldo, playing for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, await the December 9th announcement to discover their fate in the World XI lineup.
The final World XI selection process involves selecting the goalkeeper with the highest votes. The top three vote-getters among defenders, midfielders, and forwards are also included. The remaining spot is awarded to the outfield player with the next highest vote tally.
The Netherlands-based union revealed that an impressive 28,000 players from 70 countries cast their votes.
The nominated goalkeepers comprise Ederson (Manchester City, Brazil), Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa, Argentina), and Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich, Germany).
The defenders vying for a spot are Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid, Spain), Rúben Dias (Manchester City, Portugal), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool, Netherlands), Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen, Netherlands), Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid, Germany), William Saliba (Arsenal, France), and Kyle Walker (Manchester City, England).
The midfield contenders include Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid, England), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City, Belgium), Phil Foden (Manchester City, England), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid, Germany), Luka Modrić (Real Madrid, Croatia), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich, Germany), Rodri (Manchester City, Spain), and Federico Valverde (Real Madrid, Uruguay).
The forwards nominated are Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Norway), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich, England), Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain/Real Madrid, France), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, Argentina), Cole Palmer (Manchester City/Chelsea, England), Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr, Portugal), Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid, Brazil), and Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain).