FIFA release nominees for 2023 men's best XI players

The professional body of footballers around the world ( FIFPRO) have released the nominees for the best eleven players in 2023 as voted for by the players.

The players were nominated based on their performances for both club and country last year( 2023). FIFPRO released the shortlist on its official X account on Tuesday, January 2, 2024 with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi being the shocking name on the 23-man list.

The list was dominated by nine Manchester City players which include, Ederson, Ruben Dias, John Stones, Kyle Walker, Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri, Bernardo Silva, and Erling Haaland were all nominated for the award.

What is FIFPRO?

FIFPRO is the the global union for professional football players, and the annual World 11 is voted for by over 25,000 players each year.

How will the eleven players be selected?

One goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders and three forwards with the most votes in their position make it into the final team. The 11th spot is then assigned to the outfield player with the next highest number of votes to complete the team.

Who are the 2023 FIFPRO men's nominees?

Goalkeepers

Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
Ederson (Manchester City)
Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)

Defenders

Ruben Dias (Manchester City)
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Eder Militao (Real Madrid)
Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid)
John Stones (Manchester City)
Kyle Walker (Manchester City)

Midfielders

Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund/Real Madrid)
Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City/Barcelona)
Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
Rodri (Manchester City)
Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
Federico Valverde (Real Madrid, Uruguay)

Forwards

Karim Benzema (Real Madrid/Al-Ittihad)
Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur/Bayern Munich)
Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)
Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain/Inter Miami)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr)
Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid)

When will be the final XI be announced?

Monday, January 15, 2023