Six players from Champions League winners Real Madrid and four from Manchester City feature in this year’s FIFPRO World 11 announced on Monday by the global players’ association, with Lionel Messi absent for the first time in almost 20 years.
The 2024 FIFPRO World 11 is the first edition since 2006 to exclude Messi. The Argentinian, who holds the all-time record with 17 selections, was replaced in the front row by Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr.
Jude Bellingham topped the men’s overall voting, with the Real Madrid and England midfielder receiving 11,176 selections from his peers.
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk was the sole player outside of Real and City included in the men’s team of the year.
Meanwhile, five England players have been included in the Fifpro women’s World 11 team.
Chelsea defender Lucy Bronze has been selected for a seventh time – equalling the current women’s appearance record she shares with France’s Wendie Renard.
Fellow defender Alex Greenwood, goalkeeper Mary Earps, midfielder Keira Walsh and forward Lauren James were the other Lionesses chosen by their fellow professionals.
Brazilian star Marta makes her return to the team of the year for the first time since 2021, while Zambia and Orlando Pride striker Barbra Banda, the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year 2024, becomes the first African player to be included.
Spanish trio Olga Carmona, Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati – who won the women’s Ballon d’Or for the second year in a row in October – and Colombia forward Linda Caicedo complete the line-up.
The Fifpro World 11 award is voted for solely by fellow professional footballers with a record-breaking 7,000 women’s football players casting their vote.
