Best XI from FIFPro's 23-man World Team of the Year shortlist
We all know what the FIFPro World XI is. Each year, FIFA announces the best XI in the world following a round of voting. The 23-man shortlist for this year's World XI has been released.
Many renowned players have made it to the shortlist, including the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski. However, there are also some notable absentees such as Mohamed Salah, Joshua Kimmich and Harry Kane, who failed to make the cut.
In this article, find our take on the best XI from the final 23. We have adopted a 4-3-3 formation for this hypothetical FIFPro World XI.
Goalkeeper — Edouard Mendy (Chelsea/Senegal)
Edouard Mendy's season could be summed up as the best one in his career so far. The Senegal shot-stopper played a pivotal role in handing the Blues their second UEFA Champions League trophy.
He is also an integral part of the club's current form that has put them in the race for the Premier League. Chelsea look well on-course for another successful year and Mendy has been the backbone for the same.
He has conceded just 11 goals (second-lowest behind Ederson) in 16 games so far in the English top-flight.
Edouard Mendy has exactly the same clean sheet record as Petr Cech after 60 Chelsea games 🤚 https://t.co/yI0FO6RuMr
Right Back — Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool/England)
The 23-year-old has been phenomenal ever since he made his senior team debut for Liverpool. Without a doubt, Trent Alexander-Arnold's versatility is one of the core elements that has made the Reds a strong force within the Premier League.
Alexander-Arnold has one goal and ten assists so far in all competitions for Jurgen Klopp's side. He had one of his best nights in a Liverpool shirt during their win against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. He assisted both the goals in that game and was excellent defensively as well.
Center-Back — Ruben Dias (Manchester City/Portugal)
Ruben Dias' impact at the club was simply incredible. Dias earned Manchester City's Player of the Season, Premier League Player of the Season and FWA Footballer of the Year awards in his first season itself.
The centre-back is credited with bringing back some much-needed composure within the Citizens' back four. Dias has also been praised for his winning mentality, which saw him pick up two trophies in his maiden campaign for the English giants.
Ruben Dias on record clean sheets at #ManCity: “Obviously it feels good, but it’s just a small step on the way to what I want to achieve at the club. I’m happy, and happy for my teammates as well - but it’s not just me, and not just the defenders, the midfielders as well...”
Center-Back — Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Leonardo Bonucci is considered one of the greatest defenders of all time. Alongside Giorgio Chiellini, Bonucci has established one of the strongest defensive duos within the world of football.
He has had a strong season with the country and bagged the EURO 2020 trophy. Bonucci scored the equalizer for the Azzurri in the final, in addition to netting in some crucial penalty shootouts to help his nation win the title. The Juventus center back has had just one FIFA FIFPro appearance (2017) in his career.
Left-Back — Jordi Alba (Barcelona/Spain)
Jordi Alba's inclusion in the FIFA FIFPro World XI 23-man shortlist has to be due to his performance at the UEFA EURO 2020. The Barcelona man had a below-par outing with his club last year. However, Alba was influential in his side's EURO campaign where they bowed out in the semi-final to eventual winners Italy.
Due to immense completion from rival Marcelo and his club teammate Dani Alves, Alba has never made it into the final XI of FIFA FIFPro so far. However, with not much competition in this year's shortlist, one would expect the Spaniard to finally break that duck.