Super Eagles stars Ademola Lookman and William Troost-Ekong have been omitted from the final shortlist for the prestigious 2024 FIFPRO Men’s World XI, Soccernet.ng reports.
The two Nigerian footballers made the initial nominations for the award earlier in the year.
The FIFPRO Men’s World XI, one of football’s most revered accolades, honours the top players globally, assembling an elite team based on performances over the past year.
Unlike the Ballon d’Or, which is determined by a select panel of 100 journalists, the FIFPRO World XI is uniquely decided through votes from professional footballers worldwide.
FIFPRO, the global players’ union, gathers votes from more than 28,000 professionals across 70 nations. Players are tasked with selecting their top three goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and forwards from an initial list of 250 candidates.
The final team features the highest-voted goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders, and three forwards, with an additional outfield player completing the lineup.
While Lookman and Troost-Ekong missed the cut, global superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo secured their nominations, continuing their streak despite missing out on the 2024 Ballon d’Or shortlist.
Ballon d’Or winner Rodri also earned a spot, joined by runner-ups Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham.
Tensions remain high between Rodri and Vinícius following the Spaniard’s Ballon d’Or win, but both are strong contenders for this iconic lineup.
The final FIFPRO Men’s World XI will be unveiled on Monday, December 9.
FIFPRO Men’s World 11 shortlist 2024
Goalkeepers
Ederson (Manchester City, Brazil)
Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa, Argentina)
Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich, Germany)
Defenders
Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid, Spain)
Ruben Dias (Manchester City, Portugal)
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool, Netherlands)
Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen, Netherlands)
Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid, Germany)
William Saliba (Arsenal, France)
Kyle Walker (Manchester City, England)
Midfielders
Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid, England)
Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City, Belgium)
Phil Foden (Manchester City, England)
Toni Kroos (Real Madrid, Germany)
Luka Modric (Real Madrid, Croatia)
Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich, Germany)
Rodri (Manchester City, Spain)
Federico Valverde (Real Madrid, Uruguay)
Forwards
Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Norway)
Harry Kane (Bayern Munich, England)
Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid, France)
Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, Argentina)
Cole Palmer (Chelsea, England)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr, Portugal)
Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid, Brazil)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain)
