After 17 years, Messi is absent from FIFPro's World XI of the Year

Lionel Messi is missing from FIFPro’s World XI of the Year!

You might ask why the exclamation mark. Well, this is the first time since 2006 that the Argentine superstar hasn’t made it into the FIFPro World XI, selected through votes from professional footballers. From 2007 to 2023, Messi was a consistent presence in the World XI for an incredible 17 consecutive years. However, that streak has come to an end in 2024.

Messi’s ‘eternal rival,’ Cristiano Ronaldo, is also absent from this year’s XI. Interestingly, both Messi and Ronaldo were included in the 26-man shortlist a week ago, making headlines as the only players from outside European leagues to be featured on the list.

The FIFPro World XI announced today is dominated by players from Real Madrid and Manchester City. Six players from Champions League-winning Real Madrid and four from Manchester City, who secured their fourth consecutive English Premier League title, made the team. The remaining spot was claimed by Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk.

Among Real Madrid’s six representatives is Toni Kroos, who retired from football at the end of the 2023-24 season. The other five are Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rüdiger, Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé, and Vinícius Júnior. Notably, Mbappé played the first half of the year for French club PSG.
From Manchester City, Ederson, Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland, and Ballon d’Or winner Rodri were selected.

Four players—Carvajal, Rüdiger, Ederson, and Rodri—earned their spots in the FIFPro World XI for the first time.

Like the men’s team, FIFPro also announced the Women’s World XI today. Over 28,000 professional footballers from 70 countries participated in the voting process, considering players who played at least 30 matches between August 21, 2023, and July 14, 2024.

2024 FIFPro Men’s World XI

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