GOAL US writers break down who's in, who's out, and who should have made an appearance on the FIFPRO World 11

Making the FIFPRO World 11 is quite a prestigious feat. This is an exclusive list, the best team in the world, selected by pretty much every professional footballer worldwide. Not a bad achievement.

And this year's squads make for interesting reading. The big question on the men's side is the guy who's not there, with Lionel Messi omitted for the first time since 2006. Perhaps we should have seen that one coming. For the FIFPRO Women's World 11, the lack of U.S. presence is surprising, especially given the strength of the NWSL and the fact that the USWNT strolled their way to an Olympic gold in the Paris Games.

Spanish sides dominate both teams, with Real Madrid accounting for six players on the men's side, and Barcelona five on the women's. Some things, it seems, never change. And then there are the other absentees: Lamine Yamal, Naomi Girma, Jamal Musiala all must wait for yet another year.

A record-breaking number of professional footballers voted for their 2024 men’s and women’s team of the year, with 28,322 votes coming from 70 countries. Did they get it right? GOAL US writers break it down in a FIFPRO World 11 edition of… The Rondo.

FIFPRODid the FIFPRO Men's World 11 voters get it right?

Tom Hindle: Nope. This is the weakest World 11 in some time, and there are some players who made the list that really shouldn't have sniffed it. Kevin de Bruyne, included here, struggled through an injury-ravaged season, and instead leaned on Phil Foden for attacking help. Ederson, in goal, had a below average statistical season, if you want to get all nerdy and look at expected goals. And how you can look at his body of work over 12 months and not include Yamal is beyond me. For that matter, Lionel Messi should really be in this team every day until he hangs up his boots. Yes, he is still that good. Go to a four, five, six forward formation if you have to.

Ryan Tolmich: As someone who demands these teams to be in real formations, at least this wasn't a four-attacker setup, so credit for that. Generally, this team was spot on, although there is a very real argument to be made for Lamine Yamal. We'll make that argument next year, though, when he has another season of sustained success under his belt. Outside of that, everyone in the team more than proved their worth, so credit to the voters for getting this one right.

Jacob Schneider: Yeah, pretty spot on. One could argue Mo Salah should be there, but overall, they hit it on the nose. However, simply based on the start to the 2024-24 season, it's going to be a vastly different team next season – which just shows how exciting the game is at the moment

AdvertisementFIFPRODid the FIFPRO Women's World 11 voters get it right?

TH: Mostly. All of the players included here deserved it in some way, shape or form. You could perhaps have a gripe that Alexia Putellas made it, given the fact that she missed a bit of time to injury. But when fit, she was a crucial part of an unreal Barcelona team. The only real gripe here is the omission of USWNT's Naomi Girma. She's an elite center back, and the lack of credit she gets is absolutely baffling sometimes.

RT: It is unfathomable that there isn't a single USWNT representative in this squad. Do teams like this often overinflate international tournaments? You bet, but that doesn't mean those competitions should be discarded all together. For the team that won the biggest competition on offer this year to have no representatives is shocking, and it perhaps highlights the disconnect when it comes to how outsiders view the USWNT and their place in the global game.

JS: Nope. Not at all, honestly. No members of Triple Espresso (Mallory Swanson, Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman) is a crime, but no Girma is even worse. At this moment in time, she is the best female defender in the world. It's shocking to see her not included.

GettyFor the men, biggest surprise, biggest snub?

TH: Is it weird to say De Bruyne was a surprise? Maybe, but this was a pretty poor season from the Belgian – 14 goal contributions in just 18 Premier League appearances doesn't really get the business done, while he didn't achieve anything in Europe or for his country. His individual quality is undeniable, but it's strange that he made it this year. As for snubs, Yamal is pretty glaring. Golden Boy winner, Young Player of the Tournament at Euro 2024, heir-apparent to Leo Messi. What more did the kid have to do?

RT: There were a few that had legitimate arguments, including Yamal, who probably has the best one given his Euros success. Still, he needs to build on the hype just a little bit more if he wants to be on this list. Outside of him, you could point to the always-underrated Federico Valverde or Jeremie Frimpong, a key catalyst in Bayer Leverkusen's miracle run. Even so, it feels pretty close to correct.

JS: Biggest surprise is perhaps Toni Kroos. Don't get me wrong, sensational footballer and zero complaints with his selection, it's just a surprise to see him in the team with Valverde, Jamal Musiala, Phil Foden and Luka Modric as other options.

Getty ImagesFor the women, biggest surprise, biggest snub?

TH: In the best way possible, it's a little surprising to see Marta here. Zoom out, and the Brazilian had a bit of a mixed season. She wasn't exactly the model of consistency for the Orlando Pride – and Olympic success was elusive. Given that voting include her NWSL Championship win, it wouldn't be unfathomable to see her miss out. In terms of snubs, Girma will grab the headlines, but anyone who watches NWSL and decides that Temwa Chawinga isn't one of the best forwards in the world probably needs to get their eyes checked.

RT: Everything said about the USWNT snubs? That largely applies, in particular, to Girma, who has established herself as arguably the best defender in the world. Yes, there were plenty of Barcelona stars who deserved recognition for their club success but, at the end of the day, what the USWNT did in France has to be valued, too. Girma deserved a spot this season but, based on what we've seen so far, she'll have plenty of chances to get back onto this list as she evolves into a legitimate superstar defender.

JS: Biggest surprise is Olga Carmona. She wasn't quite the standout performer for Real Madrid, and choosing her over an option like Girma is genuinely baffling.