The nominations are in for the 2023 FIFPRO World XI - with Manchester City and Real Madrid dominating the shortlist.
Only two Premier League players outside of the treble winners feature in the list of 23, as the likes of Liverpool star Mohamed Salah plus Arsenal duo Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard miss out.
Erling Haaland, Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Ruben Dias, John Stones, Kyle Walker, Ederson and Rodri all make the cut from City, as well as ex-captain Ilkay Gundogan.
Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool and Aston Villa's World Cup winner, Emi Martinez, also feature along with England internationals Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane.
Bellingham is one of seven Real representatives and is joined by Thibaut Courtois, Luka Modric, Antonio Rudiger, Eder Militao, Fede Valverde and Vinicius Jr plus former striker Karim Benzema on the shortlist.
📋 The full 23-player shortlist for the 2023 FIFA FIFPRO Men’s #World11, voted by the players for the players:
— FIFPRO (@FIFPRO) January 3, 2024
🇧🇪 @ThibautCourtois
🇧🇷 @EdersonMoraes93
🇦🇷 @EmiMartinezz1
🇵🇹 @RubenDias
🇳🇱 @VirgilvDijk
🇧🇷 @EderMilitao
🇩🇪 @ToniRuediger
🏴 John Stones
🏴 @KyleWalker2
🏴… pic.twitter.com/bGon9Dt5wH
The world team of the year is conducted by players' organisation FIFPRO and offers a vote to every professional footballer around the globe, with an estimated 25,000 ballots cast.
Also picked are Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who have made the World XI on 16 and 15 previous occasions, respectively, with Messi named in every one since his 2007 debut.
Victor Osimhen is among the other talents to miss out on a nomination despite firing Napoli to the Serie A title, as do Julian Alvarez, Robert Lewandowski and Jamal Musiala. No player from the Italian top flight features and only Kylian Mbappe is included from Ligue 1.
Mary Earps has been named among the nominees for FIFPRO's Women's World XI, as well as fellow Lionesses Lucy Bronze, Alex Greenwood, Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone, Keira Walsh, Lauren James and Alessia Russo.
The winning XIs will be named in a ceremony in London on January 15.
