January 03, (THEWILL) – The International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPRO) has announced the shortlist for the 2024 Men’s World XI awards. The nominations feature 23 of the top-performing players across Europe and the globe over the last year.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo lead a star-studded list of attacking talents, having both recently departed European leagues – Messi joined MLS club Inter Miami, while Ronaldo made a lucrative move to Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia. Prolific young striker Erling Haaland is also nominated after a record-breaking, trophy-laden year with Manchester City.
Other big names in contention include Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe, Borussia Dortmund and England midfielder Jude Bellingham and Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk. Over 28,000 active professional players cast votes to determine the World XI – the only major football award selected exclusively by the players themselves.
The final 11-man squad will be revealed at the 2024 edition of The Best FIFA Football Awards, scheduled to take place in London on January 15. The team will comprise one goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders and three forwards, plus one additional spot for the remaining outfield player with the most votes.
The complete list of nominees includes:
GOALKEEPERS
Thibaut Courtois – Real Madrid and Belgium
Ederson Moraes – Manchester City and Brazil
Emiliano Martinez – Aston Villa and Argentina
DEFENDERS
Ruben Dias – Manchester City and Portugal
Virgil van Dijk – Liverpool and Netherlands
Eder Militao – Real Madrid and Brazil
Antonio Rudiger – Real Madrid and Germany
John Stones – Manchester City and England
Kyle Walker – Manchester City and England
MIDFIELDERS
Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid/Borussia Dortmund and England
Kevin De Bruyne – Manchester City and Belgium
Ilkay Gundogan – Barcelona/Manchester City and Germany
Luka Modric – Real Madrid and Croatia
Rodri – Manchester City and Spain
Bernardo Silva – Manchester City and Portugal
Federico Valverde – Real Madrid and Uruguay
FORWARDS
Karim Benzema – Al Ittihad/Real Madrid and France
Erling Haaland – Manchester City and Norway
Harry Kane – Bayern Munich/Tottenham Hotspur and England
Kylian Mbappe – Paris Saint-Germain and France
Lionel Messi – Inter Miami/Paris Saint-Germain and Argentina
Cristiano Ronaldo – Al Nassr and Portugal
Vinicius Junior – Real Madrid and Brazil
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
