Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo nominated for FIFPro XI after Ballon d'Or snobbery
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were today shortlisted to feature in the FIFPro Men's World 11 – but there was no place for Vinicius Jr.
Neither Messi nor Ronaldo made the list of 30 nominees for the 2025 Ballon d'Or – the second year in a row – but their fellow professional players gave them more love.
Argentina star Messi, 38, has enjoyed a prolific year with club Inter Miami and helped his country qualify for the World Cup as they look to defend the crown they won in Qatar three years ago.
Ronaldo, 40, maintained his phenomenal goalscoring record with Al-Nassr He also played a key role in Portugal's Nations League victory, scoring in the final against European champions Spain.
Paris Saint-Germain topped the 26-man list with seven players from the team that won the Champions League, including goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma who has since joined Manchester City and Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembélé.
Vinicius Jr was the notable omission, although that shouldn't come as a big surprise. The Brazilian winger's form has plummeted since he was overlooked for the 2024 Ballon d'Or won by City midfielder Rodri.
The full list of finalists for the 2025 FIFPro Men's World XI is as follows:
Goalkeepers
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Man City)
Alisson (Liverpool)
Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
Defenders
Achraf Hakimi (PSG)
Marquinhos (PSG)
William Saliba (Arsenal)
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Real Madrid)
Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona)
Nuno Mendes (PSG)
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
midfielder
Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
Luka Modric (AC Milan)
Joao Neves (PSG)
Pedri (Barcelona)
Federico Valverde (Real Madrid)
Vitinha (PSG)
Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
Kevin De Bruyne (Naples)
Attackers
Ousmane Dembélé (PSG)
Erling Haaland (Man City)
Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid)
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Raphinha (Barcelona)
The award is voted for by more than 26,000 footballers from 68 countries. The final eleven will be announced on November 3. Votes are based on performances between July 15, 2024 and August 3, 2025 inclusive.
The goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders and three attackers who receive the most votes will be selected for the World 11. The final place will be awarded to the remaining outfield player with the highest number of votes.
2025-10-27 15:57:00
