Six Manchester United players nominated for the world’s best team. Two is the next closest in the Premier League.
The World11 is to be announced in London next month, with one goalkeeper, four defenders, three midfielders and three forwards to be selected from the 55-man shortlist.
On that shortlist, there are 12 Premier League-based players:
- Manchester United – 6
- Arsenal – 2
- Chelsea – 2
- Liverpool – 1
- Tottenham – 1
City, however, don’t have a single player in contention.
Decided by the players themselves, it seems strange that some of City’s stars – most notably the likes of Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne – have all been overlooked by their fellow professionals.
Many of the club’s supporters were quick to express their surprise at the news on social media…
https://twitter.com/freakin5fromYT/status/910514665943371782
No Silva, KDB, Aguero but Ozil & Kante in there. Proof indeed that footballers are thick as pigshit.
— PrestwichBlue (@PrestwichBlue) September 20, 2017
What has Özil done in the past year to make the FIFPro shortlist ahead of De Bruyne? Shocking stuff smh
— Joosep (@js10mcfc) September 20, 2017
Coutinho and Ozil over De Bruyne? I’m laughing.
— Owen 🇱🇻 (@GJ33Citeh) September 20, 2017
Whilst United finished just sixth in the Premier League last season, they did win the Europa League and that was enough to trump the next English side by 200 per cent when it came to representation on the nominations long list. That’s partly because two of them only signed in the summer.
United: De Gea, Valencia, Pogba, Ibrahimovic, Lukaku, Matic.
Chelsea: Hazard, Kante.
Arsenal: Ozil, Sanchez.
Liverpool: Coutinho.
Spurs: Kane.
The full list is made up of the following players:
Goalkeepers
Gianluigi Buffon (ITA/Juventus), David De Gea (ESP/Manchester United), Keylor Navas (CRC/Real Madrid CF), Manuel Neuer (GER/Bayern München), Jan Oblak (SVN/Atletico Madrid)
Defenders
David Alaba (AUT/Bayern München), Jordi Alba (ESP/FC Barcelona), Dani Alves (BRA/Juventus/Paris Saint-Germain), Jerome Boateng (GER/Bayern München), Leonardo Bonucci (ITA/Juventus/AC Milan), Dani Carvajal (ESP/Real Madrid CF), Giorgio Chiellini (ITA/Juventus), Diego Godin (URU/Atletico Madrid), Mats Hummels (GER/Bayern München), Philipp Lahm (GER/Bayern München), David Luiz (BRA/Chelsea), Marcelo (BRA/Real Madrid CF), Javier Mascherano (ARG/FC Barcelona), Pepe (POR/Real Madrid CF/Besiktas), Gerard Pique (ESP/FC Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (ESP/Real Madrid CF), Thiago Silva (BRA/Paris Saint-Germain), Samuel Umtiti (FRA/FC Barcelona), Antonio Valencia (ECU/Manchester United), Raphael Varane (FRA/Real Madrid CF)
Midfielders
Thiago Alcantara (ESP/Bayern München), Sergio Busquets (ESP/FC Barcelona), Casemiro (BRA/Real Madrid CF), Philippe Coutinho (BRA/Liverpool), Eden Hazard (BEL/Chelsea), Andres Iniesta (ESP/FC Barcelona), Isco (ESP/Real Madrid CF), N’Golo Kante (FRA/Chelsea), Toni Kroos (GER/Real Madrid CF), Nemanja Matic (SRB/Chelsea/Manchester United), Luka Modric (CRO/Real Madrid CF), Mesut Ozil (GER/Arsenal), Paul Pogba (FRA/Manchester United), Marco Verratti (ITA/Paris Saint-Germain), Arturo Vidal (CHI/Bayern München)
Strikers
Gareth Bale (WAL/Real Madrid CF), Karim Benzema (FRA/Real Madrid CF), Edinson Cavani (URU/Paris Saint-Germain), Cristiano Ronaldo (POR/Real Madrid CF), Paulo Dybala (ARG/Juventus), Antoine Griezmann (FRA/Atletico Madrid), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (SWE/Manchester United), Harry Kane (ENG/Tottenham Hotspur), Robert Lewandowski (POL/Bayern München), Romelu Lukaku (BEL/Everton/Manchester United), Kylian Mbappe (FRA/Monaco/Paris Saint-Germain), Lionel Messi (ARG/FC Barcelona), Neymar (BRA/FC Barcelona/Paris Saint-Germain), Alexis Sanchez (CHI/Arsenal), Luis Suarez (URU/FC Barcelona)
