Messi and Cristiano in, Dembélé out: the 26 nominees for the 2026 World 11
The FIFPRO World 11 revealed its men's finalists, with Harry Kane, Mbappé and Lamine Yamal among the candidates. The winners will be announced on November 9.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are still in the race for the world's best XI. Both are among the 26 finalists for the 2026 Men's FIFPRO World 11, on a list with a striking absence: Ousmane Dembélé.
The Frenchman, winner of the 2025 Ballon d'Or, was left out of this selection. Harry Kane, who received that award in 2026, is among the eight forwards hoping to make the team.
The finalists came from the votes of 19,806 professional players from 73 countries. It is the players themselves who recognize their peers, in a process different from the Ballon d'Or.
The 26 finalists
These are the 26 names still in the running:
Finalists for the 2026 Men's FIFPRO World 11.
| Position | Finalists |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers (3) | Thibaut Courtois, Emiliano Martínez, David Raya |
| Defenders (8) | Pau Cubarsí, Marc Cucurella, Virgil van Dijk, Gabriel Magalhães, Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano |
| Midfielders (7) | Jude Bellingham, Bruno Fernandes, Enzo Fernández, Pedri, Declan Rice, Rodri, Vitinha |
| Forwards (8) | Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, Michael Olise, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lamine Yamal |
How the XI is built
The “2026” label comes with an important detail: performances were assessed from August 4, 2025 to July 19, 2026. To be eligible, players had to play at least 30 official top-flight or senior national team games in that period.
The XI will be made up of the most-voted goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders and three forwards. The remaining spot goes to the outfield player with the most votes among those not yet in; that is why there could be a fourth attacker.
The final team will be announced on Monday, November 9. The next cut will leave out fifteen finalists: Messi and Cristiano still have the backing to compete for a spot, but neither has a place guaranteed.
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