55 international footballers have been nominated for the 2016/17 FIFPro World XI, though African and Asian players are glaringly missing from the list.
The nominees are picked by 25,000 professional footballers selected by World Players’ Union FIFPro.
The most selected players are drawn up to form the nominees list.
Notably, a record 13 nominees are from La Liga and Champions League defending champions Real Madrid.
The other 42 were drawn from nine clubs: Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Paris St-Germain, Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.
The list contains players from 20 different nationalities, but none from Africa and Asia.
Goalkeepers
- Gianluigi Buffon – Italy, Juventus
- David De Gea – Spain, Manchester United
- Keylor Navas – Costa Rica, Real Madrid
- Manuel Neuer – Germany, Bayern Munich
- Jan Oblak – Slovenia, Atletico Madrid
Defenders
- David Alaba – Austria, Bayern Munich
- Jordi Alba – Spain, Barcelona
- Dani Alves – Brazil, Paris Saint-Germain
- Jerome Boateng – Germany, Bayern Munich
- Leonardo Bonucci – Italy, Juventus/AC Milan
- Dani Carvajal – Spain, Real Madrid
- Giorgio Chiellini – Italy, Juventus
- Diego Godin – Uruguay, Atletico Madrid
- Mats Hummels – Germany, Bayern Munich
- Phillipp Lahm – Germany, Bayern Munich/retired
- David Luiz – Brazil, Chelsea
- Marcelo – Brazil, Real Madrid
- Javier Mascherano – Argentina, Barcelona
- Pepe – Portugal, Real Madrid/Besiktas
- Gerard Pique – Spain, Barcelona
- Sergio Ramos – Spain, Real Madrid
- Thiago Silva – Brazil, Paris Saint-Germain
- Samuel Umtiti – France, Barcelona
- Antonio Valencia – Ecuador, Manchester United
- Raphael Varane – France, Real Madrid
Midfielders
- Thiago Alcantara – Spain, Bayern Munich
- Sergio Busquets – Spain, Barcelona
- Casemiro – Brazil, Real Madrid
- Philippe Coutinho – Brazil, Liverpool
- Eden Hazard – Belgium, Chelsea
- Andres Iniesta – Spain, Barcelona
- Isco – Spain, Real Madrid
- N’Golo Kante – France, Chelsea
- Toni Kroos – Germany, Real Madrid
- Nemanja Matic – Serbia, Chelsea/Manchester United
- Luka Modric – Croatia, Real Madrid
- Mesut Ozil – Germany, Arsenal
- Paul Pogba – France, Manchester United
- Marco Verratti – Italy, Paris Saint-Germain
- Arturo Vidal – Chile, Bayern Munich
Forwards
- Gareth Bale – Wales, Real Madrid
- Karim Benzema – France, Real Madrid
- Edinson Cavani – Uruguay, Paris Saint-Germain
- Paulo Dybala – Argentina, Juventus
- Antoine Griezmann – France, Atletico Madrid
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Sweden, Manchester United
- Harry Kane – England, Tottenham Hotspur
- Robert Lewandowski – Poland, Bayern Munich
- Romelu Lukaku – Belgium, Manchester United
- Kylian Mbappe – France, Paris Saint-Germain
- Lionel Messi – Argentina, Barcelona
- Neymar – Brazil, Paris Saint-Germain
- Cristiano Ronaldo – Portugal, Real Madrid
- Alexis Sanchez – Chile, Arsenal
- Luis Suarez – Uruguay, Barcelona
Following the release of the list, some fans have taken to social media with reactions to the absence of African players.
@FIFPro please help me understand how Sadio Mané and Pierre Emerick Aubamayeng were left out of this list when Coutinho and Lukaku made it🤔?
— Nene from SurfClub (@nenemazu) September 20, 2017
https://twitter.com/EmmaKelz/status/910468915679068167
So FIFPRO WORLD 11 55 man shortlist has been unveiled… without a single African player nominated despite 🤔 Sadio Mane anyone? #FIFPro #LFC
— St.Calann (@StCalann) September 20, 2017
