FIFPRO Announces Shortlist for World's Best 11 Players of 2026

Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo, captain of Saudi club Al-Nassr, is among the nominees for the Team of the Year presented by "FIFPRO".

The International Federation of Professional Footballers' Associations (FIFPRO) has officially announced the shortlist of 26 players nominated for the "FIFPRO" World's Best 11 Men's Team for 2026.

A total of 19,806 professional players from 73 countries participated in the voting to select the Team of the Year, as reported on the official "FIFPRO" website.

The World's Best 11 award is the only global football award decided exclusively by professional footballers.

The list includes 26 players who received the highest percentage of votes from their peers based on their performance during the period from August 4, 2025, to July 19, 2026, provided that the player had participated in at least 30 official matches during that period.

The 11 players with the highest percentage of votes in their respective positions will be selected to form the World's Best 11 team, which will be revealed on Monday, November 9.

Cristiano Ronaldo was first nominated for the "FIFPRO" Team of the Year in the 2004-2005 season, and he returned to the nomination list again in this edition at the age of 41.

Alongside Ronaldo, the list features his eternal rival Lionel Messi, captain of Inter Miami, along with shining stars this season such as Lamine Yamal of Barcelona and Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid, as well as Harry Kane, striker of Bayern Munich and recent winner of the 2026 Ballon d'Or.

Final nominees for the FIFPRO Men's World XI Award for 2026
Goalkeepers
Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid, Belgium)
Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa/Chelsea, Argentina)
David Raya (Arsenal, Spain)
Defenders
Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona, Spain)
Marc Cucurella (Chelsea/Real Madrid, Spain)
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool, Netherlands)
Gabriel (Arsenal, Brazil)
Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain, Morocco)
Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal)
William Saliba (Arsenal, France)
Dayo Upamecano (Bayern Munich, France)
Midfielders
Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid, England)
Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United, Portugal)
Enzo Fernández (Chelsea/Manchester City, Argentina)
Pedri (Barcelona, Spain)
Declan Rice (Arsenal, England)
Rodri (Manchester City/Barcelona, Spain)
Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal)
Forwards
Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Norway)
Harry Kane (Bayern Munich, England)
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Paris Saint-Germain, Georgia)
Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid, France)
Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, Argentina)
Michael Olise (Bayern Munich, France)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr, Portugal)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain)