FIFPro has announced their Men’s World XI for 2024, and neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo are part of the lineup. The Inter Miami star and the Al Nassr forward had been nominated for the recognition, but failed to make the final cut.
With their nominations, they extended their records of nominations: 18th for the Argentine and 16th for the Portuguese. Ronaldo’s last appearance in the team came in 2021. Meanwhile, this is the first time since 2006 that Messi hasn’t been selected, breaking his 17-year streak. Leo still holds the record after being voted into the team 17 times, while Ronaldo has been selected 15 times.
Apart from the absence of the two veterans, who were the only players from clubs outside of Europe to be among the nominees, the other interesting thing about the lineup is that it includes six Real Madrid players, four Manchester City players and only Virgil Van Dijk from Liverpool.
In defense, the selected players were City’s Ederson in goal, with Madrid duo Dani Carvajal and Antonio Rüdiger partnering Van Dijk. Meanwhile, the midfield consists on Jude Bellingham, the recently retired Toni Kroos, Kevin De Bruyne and Ballon d’Or winner Rodri from City.
FIFA Ballon d’Or nominees Lionel Messi of Argentina and FC Barcelona (L) and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Real Madrid smile during the FIFA Ballon d’Or Gala 2014.
City striker Erling Haaland is teamed up with Kylian Mbappe, who has struggled in the past few months since signing with Madrid, and his teammate Vinicius Junior in the attack. According to FIFPro, Bellingham received the most Men’s World 11 votes from his fellow professionals; being selected 11,176 times.
The end of the Messi-Ronaldo era
Apart from not being featured in the FIFPro’s men XI, Messi, 37, and Ronaldo, 39, were also absent from the Ballon D’Or nominees, being the first time that neither of them were in the shortlist in 20 years.
On the other hand, Messi was considered as a finalist for the FIFA The Best Award, which will be announced in January 2025. He is in the shortlist, alongside Haaland, Mbappe, Rodri, Vinicius, De Bruyne, Federico Valverde, Florian Wirtz, Dani Carvajal, Julian Alvarez, and Mohammed Salah.
Real Madrid breaks Barcelona’s record in FIFPro
Last year, Real Madrid surpassed Barcelona to become the club with the most contributions to the Men’s World 11 in history. This total has now reached 60, with Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rudiger, Jude Bellingham, Toni Kroos (now retired), Kylian Mbappe, and Vinicius Jr earning spots in the 2024 team of the year.
