Cristiano Ronaldo misses out as Lionel Messi makes cut for FIFA 22 Team of the Year
Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo was left out of the FIFA 22 Team of the Year for the first time since its inception, as Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Kylian Mbappe occupied the forward spots.
The players were chosen by fan vote from a pool of 80 nominees. The final team that was chosen is:
Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG and Italy)
Defenders: Joao Cancelo (Manchester City and Portugal), Ruben Dias (Manchester City and Portugal), Marquinhos (PSG and Brazil), Achraf Hakimi (PSG and Morocco)
Midfielders: N'Golo Kante (Chelsea and France), Jorginho (Chelsea and Italy), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City and Belgium)
Forwards: Lionel Messi (PSG and Argentina), Kylian Mbappe (PSG and France), Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich and Poland)
The FIFA 22 #TOTY is here π https://t.co/oFwJfiC9Nc
Cristiano Ronaldo has been chosen as part of the FIFA Team of the Year for the past 11 years. The Portuguese superstar had a stellar individual year but lacked any significant team success.
Cristiano Ronaldo ended 2021 with 47 goals and seven assists in 65 games across all competitions. The forward also broke the record for most goals, most international goals and most goals in the European Championships. However, he only managed to win the Coppa Italia with Juventus in terms of silverware.
Another notable omission from the team was Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, who also had a great year statistically but lacked any individual or team success.
Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Kylian Mbappe deserved to get picked over Cristiano Ronaldo
It's hard to choose Ronaldo over any one of Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski or Kylian Mbappe as the trio have all had stellar seasons of their own.
Lionel Messi led Argentina to their first Copa America victory since 1993, while also winning the top scorer and being named the best player at the tournament. The forward ended the year with 43 goals and 18 assists in 61 appearances across all competitions and was awarded his seventh Ballon D'Or as well.
πππ©π Parisians in the ultimate #TOTY! β€οΈπ
Voted by millions around the world, congratulations @KMbappe, ππ²πΌ π π²πππΆ, @marquinhos_m5, @AchrafHakimi & @gigiodonna1! π₯
@EASPORTSFIFA #FIFA22 https://t.co/Nc591Aoo8X
Meanwhile, Lewandowski was regarded by many as the best player in football over 2021. The striker had an incredible year in front of goal, scoring 69 goals in 59 games across all competitions. The Pole also broke Gerd Muller's record of most goals in a single Bundesliga campaign, finishing the 2020-21 season with 41 goals in 29 league appearances. He was also named The Best FIFA Men's Player of the Year for 2021.
Kylian Mbappe ended the year with 51 goals and 28 assists in 67 appearances across all competitions while winning the Coupe de France and UEFA Nations League with PSG and the French national team respectively. The striker finished the year with the 2nd most goals and assists out of any player in world football.
One year ago today, Cristiano Ronaldo hit his 760th goal to become the all-time leading scorer in world football.
Now heβs on 803 π₯ https://t.co/QxIEyaCRSv