Global footballers’ union FIFPro has recently announced the nominee for its prestigious World XI, which will be decided later on.
The FIFPro World XI is an annual award that recognizes the best football players in the world, as voted by professional footballers worldwide.
It is considered one of the most prestigious individual honours in the sport. This year, a record number of 28,322 professional footballers from 70 countries cast their votes to select the best players of the 2023-2024 season.
Lamine Yamal: The only Barcelona player
Interestingly, though, on the list of 26 nominees, there is only one Barcelona player in the form of Lamine Yamal.
Yamal’s inclusion in the list comes on the back of his exceptional breakthrough campaign during the 2023/24 season, coupled with an equally successful Euro 2024 campaign with Spain.
Source: X/FIFPro
Yamal’s inclusion in the list is particularly impressive considering his young age and relatively short time in the spotlight.
He has already won several major awards, including the Kopa Trophy, the Golden Boy, and the Best Young Player at the European Championship with Spain.
Joining Yamal on the list of nominees are two of his Spanish compatriots Dani Carvajal and Rodri, who recently won the Ballon d’Or.
Notable Barcelona players who were excluded from the list include Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo, who was playing for RB Leipzig during the 2023/24 campaign but won the Golden Boot at the Euros in the summer.
Barcelona legend Lionel Messi has been nominated, though, following his Copa America success with the Argentine national team during the summer.