Some Huge Names Are Omitted From FIFPro's World XI Shortlist

The 55-man shortlist for the FIFPro World XI, which will be announced on 9 January at The Best FIFA Football Awards Ceremony, has been revealed and some seriously big players are not featured this year.

For the first time in twelve years, Wayne Rooney and Andrea Pirlo are not among the nominees for the World 11 team that is voted by over 25,000 players.

Household names such as Iker Casillas, Arjen Robben, Carlos Tevez, Vincent Kompany also miss out, while the likes of James Rodriguez, Douglas Costa and Thiago Alcantara also didn't make the cut this time around.

The calibre of players to have been overlooked this year is seriously impressive, so much so that you could make an absolutely incredible team using the omitted players.

However there are still an array of talented players in contention to make the final XI, with nine debutants this years - including Premier League players Dmitri Payet, N'Golo Kante, Jamie Vardy, Hector Bellerin and Kevin De Bruyne. In total 15 Premier League players are on the list.

Here is the shortlist in full:

GOALKEEPERS (5):
Claudio Bravo (Chile/FC Barcelona/Manchester City)
Gianluigi Buffon (Italy/Juventus)
David de Gea (Spain/Manchester United)
Keylor Navas (Costa Rica/Real Madrid)
Manuel Neuer (Germany/FC Bayern Munich).

Gianluigi Buffon

DEFENDERS (20):
David Alaba (Austria/FC Bayern Munich)
Jordi Alba (Spain/FC Barcelona)
Serge Aurier (Cote d'Ivoire/Paris Saint-Germain)
Hector Bellerìn (Spain/Arsenal)
Jerome Boateng (Germany/FC Bayern Munich)
Leonardo Bonucci (Italy/Juventus)
Daniel Carvajal (Spain/Real Madrid)
Giorgio Chiellini (Italy/Juventus)
Dani Alves (Brazil/FC Barcelona/Juventus)
David Luiz (Brazil/Paris Saint-Germain/Chelsea)
Diego Godin (Uruguay/Atletico Madrid)
Mats Hummels (Germany/Borussia Dortmund/FC Bayern Munich)
Philipp Lahm (Germany/FC Bayern Munich)
Marcelo (Brazil/Real Madrid)
Javier Mascherano (Argentina/FC Barcelona)
Pepe (Portugal/Real Madrid)
Gerard Pique (Spain/FC Barcelona)
Sergio Ramos (Spain/Real Madrid)
Thiago Silva (Brazil/Paris Saint-Germain)
Raphael Varane (France/Real Madrid).

MIDFIELDERS (15):
Xabi Alonso (Spain/FC Bayern Munich)
Sergio Busquets (Spain/FC Barcelona)
Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester City)
Eden Hazard (Belgium/Chelsea)
Andres Iniesta (Spain/FC Barcelona)
N'Golo Kante (France/Leicester City/Chelsea)
Toni Kroos (Germany/Real Madrid)
Luka Modric (Croatia/Real Madrid)
Mesut Ozil (Germany/Arsenal)
Dimitri Payet (France/West Ham United)
Paul Pogba (France/Juventus/Manchester United)
Ivan Rakitic (Croatia/FC Barcelona)
David Silva (Spain/Manchester City)
Marco Verratti (Italy/Paris Saint-Germain)
Arturo Vidal (Chile/FC Bayern Munich).

STRIKERS (15):
Sergio Aguero (Argentina/Manchester City)
Gareth Bale (Wales/Real Madrid)
Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Real Madrid)
Paulo Dybala (Argentina/Juventus)
Antoine Griezmann (France/Atletico Madrid)
Gonzalo Higuain (Argentina/Napoli/Juventus)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden/Paris Saint-Germain/Manchester United)
Robert Lewandowski (Poland/FC Bayern Munich)
Lionel Messi (Argentina/FC Barcelona)
Thomas Muller (Germany/FC Bayern Munich)
Neymar (Brazil/FC Barcelona)
Alexis Sanchez (Chile/Arsenal)
Luis Suarez (Uruguay/FC Barcelona)
Jamie Vardy (England/Leicester City)

Players from around 70 countries will have the opportunity to pick a team that comprises of one goalkeeper, four defenders, three midfielders and three forwards, which well then lead to overall FIFPro World XI.

Josh Lawless

Josh is a writer who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

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