Key Takeaways
FIFPRO World 11 finalists are shortlisted based on player votes for their performances from 21st August 2023 to 14th July 2024.
The award recognises top performers, significant after the FIFA partnership ended in 2024.
Premier League players dominate with 11 out of the 26 final nominees.
The end of the year is nearly here, with a football schedule that included Euro 2024, the Champions League, and intense title races across Europe's top five leagues. One of the most significant and respected awards in the game is the FIFPRO World 11, which will be announced on Monday 9th December. FIFPRO is the worldwide organisation that represents 21,000 professional footballers from 70 different countries.
Players were voted by their peers for their performances from 21st August 2023 to 14th July 2024. The 26 players with the most votes were shortlisted as finalists, which will then be whittled down to 11 for the official unveiling of the award on 9th December. Speaking about the significance of the accolade in February 2023, Virgil van Dijk said:
"To be voted by your colleagues, your peers, is I think the highest recognition you can get."
"The guys that vote for you go through almost the same things you go through on a daily basis. They do all the same things that you do; the hard work that we put into playing at the highest level. That they give you the recognition that you are in the World 11 is something to be proud of and something I won't take for granted."
What is the FIFPRO Men's World 11 Award
van dijk
From 2005 to 2008, the player with the most votes by their fellow peers was given the FIFPRO World Player of the Year award. Ronaldinho won the first two editions, followed by Kaka in 2007 and Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008. After merging with FIFA in 2009, this individual award was replaced by the FIFA Ballon d'Or from 2010 to 2015 and then the Best FIFA Men's Player in 2016.
The FIFPRO World 11 award also started in 2005 but retained its format after the merger with FIFA in 2009. Over 20,000 professional men's footballers voted for their best three goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and forwards for their performances over the time period from 21st August 2023 to 14th July 2024. To be included, players included in the 11 had to have played a minimum of 30 official matches during the allocated time period.
FIFPRO revealed the 26 finalists who were in the running for the World 11 award earlier this week. The 11 players with the most votes will be revealed on Monday 9th December from 14:00 CET (Central European Time). Three defenders, three midfielders, three forwards and a goalkeeper will be included in the 11, with the final spot given to another outfield player with the next highest number of votes. This will be the first time since 2008 that the award will be run independently by FIFPRO after the end of their partnership with FIFA.
How Many Premier League Players Made the Final 26 for 2024 Award
Premier League players dominated the shortlist for the FIFPRO Men's World 11 award, with 11 out of the final 26 players coming from the English top flight. Ederson and Emiliano Martinez were nominated as contenders for the best goalkeepers of the year, along with Manuel Neuer. Van Dijk, Ruben Dias, William Saliba and Kyle Walker were the four defenders in the list of 26.
In terms of the midfield, a trio of Manchester City players were spotlighted, including 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, along with De Bruyne and Phil Foden. Finally, the two top goalscorers in the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, Erling Haaland and Cole Palmer, were also nominated. City, who won the Premier League for a record-breaking fourth time in a row, had seven players included in the 26-man list, which was more than any other English club. You can see the finalists for the award below:
Goalkeepers
Ederson (Manchester City, Brazil)
Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa, Argentina)
Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich, Germany)
Defenders
Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid, Spain)
Ruben Dias (Manchester City, Portugal)
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool, Netherlands)
Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen, Netherlands)
Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid, Germany)
William Saliba (Arsenal, France)
Kyle Walker (Manchester City, England)
Midfielders
Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid, England)
Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City, Belgium)
Phil Foden (Manchester City, England)
Toni Kroos (Real Madrid, Germany)
Luka Modric (Real Madrid, Croatia)
Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich, Germany)
Rodri (Manchester City, Spain)
Federico Valverde (Real Madrid, Uruguay)
Forwards
Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Norway)
Harry Kane (Bayern Munich, England)
Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain/Real Madrid, France)
Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, Argentina)
Cole Palmer (Manchester City/Chelsea, England)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr, Portugal)
Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid, Brazil)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain)
Information gathered from FIFPRO and Premier League - Correct as of 06/12/24.