Leading members of the first-team squads at Spanish football’s two leading clubs were on Tuesday named in FIFA’s prestigious ‘The Best’ XI.
The Best ceremony, of course, took place earlier this evening.
The headline prize of the ceremony went the way of Real Madrid star Vinícius Jr, who was named ‘The Best Player’ of the Year.
Elsewhere, Carlo Ancelotti scooped ‘The Best Coach’ award, whilst Aston Villa standout Emi Martínez was again named ‘The Best Goalkeeper’.
Turning attentions towards ‘The Best’ XI, which aims to recognise the standout player in each position in world football, Real Madrid dominated the line-up, with five inclusions.
These came in the form of Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rüdiger, Toni Kroos (who played his final season in football with Los Blancos in 2023/24), Jude Bellingham, and Vinícius Jr.
Fellow La Liga heavyweights Barcelona, meanwhile, were represented by a solitary name, in youngster Lamine Yamal.
Check out FIFA’s ‘The Best’ XI in full below:
Conor Laird – GSFN