Super Eagles stars William Troost-Ekong and Ademola Lookman, who were initially nominated for the prestigious 2024 FIFPRO World XI, have missed out on the final shortlist.
The FIFPRO World XI is one of football’s most celebrated honours, designed to recognize the best starting XI of the world’s top-performing players over the past year. Unlike the Ballon d’Or, which is determined by a panel of journalists, this accolade is uniquely voted on by professional footballers.
FIFPRO, the global players’ union, gathers input from over 28,000 professionals across 70 countries. Each voter selects their top three choices for goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and forwards from an initial pool of 250 nominees. The final team consists of the goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders, and three forwards with the highest votes, along with an additional outfield player to complete the lineup.
As expected, the final shortlist features many of the sport’s biggest names. Notably, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, despite missing out on the Ballon d’Or nominations this year, remain among the forward candidates.
Elsewhere, the rivalry between Manchester City’s Rodri and Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior continues to spark interest. Rodri’s Ballon d’Or victory over Vinícius has added intrigue, though both are expected to secure spots in the FIFPRO World XI.
The highly anticipated final team will be unveiled on Monday, December 9, showcasing the players selected by their peers as the best in the world.
Goalkeepers
Ederson (Manchester City, Brazil)
Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa, Argentina)
Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich, Germany)
Defenders
Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid, Spain)
Ruben Dias (Manchester City, Portugal)
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool, Netherlands)
Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen, Netherlands)
Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid, Germany)
William Saliba (Arsenal, France)
Kyle Walker (Manchester City, England)
Midfielders
Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid, England)
Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City, Belgium)
Phil Foden (Manchester City, England)
Toni Kroos (Real Madrid, Germany)
Luka Modric (Real Madrid, Croatia)
Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich, Germany)
Rodri (Manchester City, Spain)
Federico Valverde (Real Madrid, Uruguay)
Forwards
Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Norway)
Harry Kane (Bayern Munich, England)
Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid, France)
Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, Argentina)
Cole Palmer (Chelsea, England)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr, Portugal)
Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid, Brazil)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain)
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