FIFA World XI: One HUGE name misses out on Sportsmail's team
Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski and N’Golo Kante all feature, but one HUGE name misses out… after FIFA revealed their 23-man shortlist for World XI of 2021 (without Mo Salah!), Sportsmail whittles down the nominees to a starting eleven
- FIFA have unveiled their 23-man shortlist of nominees for the World XI of 2021
- Mo Salah controversially missed out on the shortlist despite a superb year
- Chelsea, PSG and Barcelona are well represented with 12 players in total
- Here, Sportsmail whittles down the 23-man group to a single starting XI
FIFA upset a whole raft of supporters on Tuesday after snubbing Mohamed Salah from their 23-man shortlist for the men’s World XI of 2021.
Salah, who is in blistering form for Liverpool with 21 goals in 22 games this campaign, was omitted from FIFA’s batch of star-studded nominees, while four players from crisis club Barcelona were included.
European champions Chelsea led the way in terms of Premier League representation with four nominees to match Barca and Paris Saint-Germain.
The 23-man shortlist was voted for by the players themselves, and a massive 10 of the 23 named are currently plying their trade in the English top flight.
Here, Sportsmail whittles down the group of 23 to a starting XI, with three big-name superstars just missing out by a whisker.
Chelsea dominated in FIFA’s 23-man squad for World XI, but who makes Sportsmail’s cut?
Goalkeepers:
Alisson Becker (Brazil/Liverpool FC)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy/AC Milan/Paris Saint-Germain)
Édouard Mendy (Senegal/Chelsea FC)
Defenders:
David Alaba (Austria/FC Bayern München/Real Madrid CF)
Jordi Alba (Spain/FC Barcelona)
Trent Alexander-Arnold (England/Liverpool FC)
Dani Alves (Brazil/São Paulo FC/FC Barcelona)
Leonardo Bonucci (Italy/Juventus FC)
Rúben Dias (Portugal/Manchester City FC)
Midfielders:
Sergio Busquets (Spain/FC Barcelona)
Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester City FC)
Bruno Fernandes (Portugal/Manchester United FC)
Frenkie de Jong (Netherlands/FC Barcelona)
Jorginho (Italy/Chelsea FC)
N’Golo Kante (France/Chelsea FC)
Forwards:
Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid CF)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Juventus FC/Manchester United FC)
Erling Haaland (Norway/ BV Borussia 09 Dortmund)
Robert Lewandowski (Poland/FC Bayern München)
Romelu Lukaku (Belgium/FC Internazionale Milano/Chelsea FC)
Kylian Mbappé (France/Paris Saint-Germain)
Lionel Messi (Argentina/FC Barcelona/Paris Saint-Germain)
Neymar (Brazil/Paris Saint-Germain)
FORMATION: 4-3-1-2
Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Donnarumma
Debate rained down on social media earlier this month after Gianluigi Donnarumma pipped Edouard Mendy to The Yashin Trophy – awarded to the best goalkeeper – at France Football’s Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris.
Chelsea star Mendy enjoyed a superb campaign in west London and his performances in goal helped Thomas Tuchel’s side to their Champions League triumph.
However, it is hard to deny PSG’s Donnarumma of a place between the sticks in the World XI.
The Italian was named Player of the Tournament at last summer’s Euros and it was his penalty heroics – first in the semi-final against Spain and then in the final against England – that handed Roberto Mancini’s Azzurri victory.
Gianluigi Donnarumma was the hero for Italy at the Euros and he starts between the sticks
Right back: Trent Alexander-Arnold
There is only one man with a worthy shout of occupying the right back slot in this year’s XI, and that is Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The Liverpool star finished the 2020-21 campaign on a high and his form saw him selected in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the Euros, before an injury cruelly ruled him out.
He has carried that form into this season with 10 assists in 17 games. The Englishman is helped by the fact that his only competition at right back is Dani Alves, who won gold at the Olympics but provided just five assists across the whole of 2021.
Trent Alexander-Arnold finished 2020-21 strongly and has returned to form this campaign
Centre back: Ruben Dias
It will come as no surprise to see Ruben Dias in our World XI this year.
The Portuguese has completely transformed Manchester City’s defence over the past 18 months and his presence helped City to another Premier League title under Pep Guardiola and saw them reach the Champions League final in 2020-21.
Dias was deservedly named the Premier League’s Player of the Season last year and slots into place next to a very experienced player at centre half.
Ruben Dias has transformed Manchester City’s defence and was England’s Player of the Year
Centre back: Leonardo Bonucci
Modern defenders, we are told, need guile, finesse and mobility to thrive at the top of the game in 2021. Nobody told Leonardo Bonucci that.
The Italian, alongside compatriot Giorgio Chiellini, has offered a defensive throwback this year, with his physicality, aggression and nous stifling the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Harry Kane.
Bonucci, with Chiellini and Donnarumma, was crucial to Italy’s Euro 2020 success and bagged the all important equalising goal to take the game to penalties.
Left back: David Alaba
With all due respect to David Alaba, we are not completely spoilt for choice with left back options this year.
FIFA have offered a straight shootout between the Austrian and Barcelona full back Jordi Alba. Given how ropey the Catalans have been, it is hard to afford this position to the Spaniard.
Alaba, in fairness, helped Bayern Munich romp to a tenth-successive Bundesliga title and has slotted in seamlessly at Real Madrid, who already hold an eight-point lead at the top of LaLIga.
David Alaba won the Bundesliga with Bayern and has taken to life in Spain with Real Madrid
Centre midfield: N’Golo Kante
Now to the midfield, and what better option to provide defensive solidity to the back four than N’Golo Kante?
The Frenchman was the standout performer in this year’s Champions League, earning plaudits for his displays against Spanish opponents Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid before winning the man of the match award in the final against Man City.
Kante has been at the top of his game for some time now and would be the go-to midfield enforcer for any top level manager in football.
Chelsea’s Jorginho (left) and N’Golo Kante (right) make up two-thirds of a three-man midfield
Centre midfield: Jorginho
There is a place in this side for the man who held an outside shot of pipping Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski to the Ballon d’Or this year.
Nobody has enjoyed a better year – silverware-wise – than Chelsea’s Jorginho.
Having played an instrumental role in the Blues’ Champions League triumph alongside Kante, the Italian went on to be crowned a European champion with the Azzurri.
Thomas Tuchel has helped take the former Napoli man’s game to another level, and his guile on the ball complements his partners in midfield.
Centre midfield: Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne completes this three-man midfield ahead of the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Sergio Busquets.
The Portuguese may feel harshly overlooked here, but De Bruyne’s exploits in the Premier League and Champions League sees him gazump the Manchester United man.
Injuries have hampered De Bruyne since the summer, but he demonstrated that he is still one of the world’s best midfielders after bagging a sublime brace in City’s 7-0 rout of Leeds on Tuesday night.
Manchester City and Belgium star Kevin De Bruyne pips Bruno Fernandes to make our XI
Attacking midfield: Lionel Messi
Controversy engulfed Messi’s Ballon d’Or triumph earlier this month, with fans and pundits adamant that Lewandowski was harshly robbed of the award for his performances in 2020 and 2021.
Yet there can be no denying of Messi’s place in the World XI this year.
The Argentine hauled his country to a seismic Copa America victory, after winning the Copa del Rey with Barcelona and securing a Champions League spot for the cash-strapped Catalans.
Barcelona’s current plight – whereby they sit eighth in LaLiga – is all the evidence needed of Messi’s extraordinary contribution this year.
2021 Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi occupies an attacking midfield role in our 4-3-1-2 team
Striker: Robert Lewandowski
There will be no shortage of goals in this team with Lewandowski up front.
The Pole has been simply sensational for the past two years. In 2020, Covid saw the Bayern Munich striker cruelly denied the Ballon d’Or, but that did not dampen his spirits – bagging a mammoth 55 goals in 49 games for the Germans in 2021.
The 33-year-old can take a degree of comfort in the fact he makes our World XI.
Robert Lewandowski harshly missed out on the Ballon d’Or but starts with Karim Benzema
Striker: Karim Benzema
A shootout between Karim Benzema and Erling Haaland, but the Frenchman comes out on top this year.
Benzema, so long the understudy to Cristiano Ronaldo, has stepped out of the Portuguese’s shadow and become Real Madrid’s main man.
Despite his best efforts, Madrid missed out on the LaLiga title last term, but his 13 goals in 16 league games has helped Carlo Ancelotti’s side open up an eight-point lead.
NEAR MISSES
Cristiano Ronaldo
This omission will surely ruffle some feathers, but 30 goals in 43 appearances for Juventus and Man United is below par for a man capable of extraordinary goal scoring outputs.
Ronaldo finished sixth in the Ballon d’Or rankings, behind Kante, Benzema, Jorginho, Lewandowski and Messi. Three of those players occupy the forward positions in our XI and there is no justification for leaving any out for the Portuguese superstar this year.
Cristiano Ronaldo was below his high standards in 2021 and misses out on a place in the XI
Edouard Mendy
Mendy has enjoyed a superb year for Chelsea but, unfortunately, there is one goalkeeper out there whose achievements eclipse the Senegalese’s exploits.
Erling Haaland
Haaland just misses out this year but the Norwegian is a certainty to feature for years to come.
The Dortmund star netted 34 goals in 34 games in 2021 and, at 21, he is only going to get better.
Haaland is expected to leave Dortmund in the summer, with Man City, Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern lining up for the hotshot. Wherever he goes, individual and team accolades will surely follow.
Erling Haaland will be in for years to come but was outshone by Benzema and Lewandowski
Sportsmail’s World XI in full: Donnarumma; Alexander-Arnold, Dias, Bonucci, Alaba; Kante, Jorginho, De Bruyne; Messi; Lewandowski, Benzema
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