The shortlist for the 2020 FIFPro World XI has been announced.
Every professional footballer around the world was invited to vote for the best player in each position. The ones with the most votes made it into the 55-man shortlist.
The goalkeeper with the most votes, as well as the top three defenders, midfielders, and forwards, will be inducted into the FIFPro World XI. The remaining spot will go to the outfield player with the most votes.
Bayern Munich are the most represented team in the shortlist, boasting 11 players. Title winners Real Madrid and Liverpool come in joint-second with eight players each.
Despite going trophyless last year, Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur both make it into the top five, with six and five candidates respectively.
La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid had just one nominee, meanwhile not a single player from Champions League semi-finalists RB Leipzig and Lyon made it in.
Brazil and Germany were the countries with the most nominees, both achieving eight, while Spain and France both had five each.
There was no room on the list for Serie A Golden Boot winner Ciro Immobile, or Player of the Year Paulo Dybala. Jadon Sancho, Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner, and Raheem Sterling were other notable snubs.
37-year-old Dani Alves was a surprise inclusion in the shortlist, as well as Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will both be hoping to make it in for a 14th time, having been voted in every year since 2007.
Full Shortlist
Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), David de Gea (Man Utd), Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan), Ederson (Man City), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur) Keylor Navas (PSG), Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona)
Defenders: David Alaba (Bayern Munich), Jordi Alba (Barcelona), Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham Hotspur), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Dani Alves (Sao Paulo), Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Matthijs de Ligt (Juventus), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Andrew Robertson (Liverpool), Thiago Silva (PSG/Chelsea), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid)
Midfielders: Thiago Alcantara (Bayern Munich/Liverpool), Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Casemiro (Real Madrid), Philippe Coutinho (Bayern Munich/Barcelona), Kevin De Bruyne (Man City), Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), N’Golo Kante (Chelsea), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich)
Forwards: Sergio Aguero (Man City), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich), Erling Braut Haaland (Borussia Dortmund), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (AC Milan), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich), Sadio Mane (Liverpool), Kylian Mbappe (PSG), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Neymar (PSG), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Heung-min Son (Tottenham Hotspur)
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