26 nominees for the 2026 FIFPRO Men’s World XI with Messi, Cristiano, Mbappe, Haaland named top contenders ahead of November 9 reveal.
Fans have chosen many of world football’s greatest stars on the list such as Barcelona’s young stars Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi after 19,806 players from 73 nations voted.
FIFPRO, the nominations were for the performances from August 4, 2025, to July 19, 2026. The players must have played a minimum of 30 official games to be eligible.
Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois, Emiliano Martinez and David Raya.
Defenses: Pau Cubarsi, Marc Cucurella, Virgil Van Dijk, Gabriel, Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano.
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Bruno Fernandes, Enzo Fernandez, Pedri, Declan Rice, Rodri and Vitinha.
Forwards: Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Michael Olise, Cristiano Ronaldo & Lamine Yamal.
Ronaldo is in the list despite not featuring among the 2026 Ballon d’Or nominees, yet Messi can still be rewarded despite being a constant feature of the list alongside his arch-rival.
The XI that gets the most votes will be named the Final XI. It will include one goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders, and three forwards. Out of the remaining eligible outfield players, the player with the next-highest number of votes will be included in the XI.
