Ballon d’Or winner Harry Kane has surprisingly missed out on a place in the FIFPRO Men’s World 11, with Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal, who finished second and third, respectively, in the Ballon d’Or rankings, have made the cut.
Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane and teammates applaud fans after the match (REUTERS)
Kane, winner of the 2026 Ballon d’Or, was among the shortlisted players but failed to make the final 11 in a vote involving 19,806 professional male footballers from 73 countries. FIFPRO announced the team, which was selected by players based on performances during the 2025-26 season. Kane’s Bayern Munich teammate Michael Olise also missed out, as did last year’s Ballon d’Or winner, Ousmane Dembele.
Lionel Messi, who led Argentina to a second consecutive FIFA World Cup final earlier this year, returned to the World 11 after missing out on selection in the previous two editions. This was his 18th appearance in the team, extending his record. The Inter Miami forward was also the only player from a club outside Europe to make the cut.
Mbappe leads the forward line alongside Messi, Norwegian striker Erling Haaland and Yamal. The Spaniard became the first player to feature in the team twice as a teenager. Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham was selected in midfield alongside Rodri – who finished fourth in the Ballon d’Or rankings – and Paris Saint-Germain’s Portuguese midfielder Vitinha.
Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi formed the backline alongside PSG duo Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes. Hakimi, who represents Morocco, was one of only two players from national teams outside Europe to make the cut, the other being Argentina’s Messi. Arsenal and Spain goalkeeper David Raya completed the line-up.
Overall, the team features four players from Spain’s World Cup-winning squad. At club level, Real Madrid, Manchester City and PSG have two representatives each.
FIFPRO Men’s World 11
Goalkeeper: David Raya (Arsenal, Spain)
Defenders: Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona, Spain), Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain, Morocco), Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal)
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid, England), Rodri (Manchester City, Spain), Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal)
Forwards: Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Norway), Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid, France), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, Argentina), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain)
