An alternative 2018 FIFPro World XI

On Monday, FIFA’s The Best Awards took place, with Luka Modric and Marta taking home the main awards for best male and female players. But there were also a host of other awards given out on the night.

Modric ended the ten-year dominance of the award by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, finishing ahead of the Portuguese superstar and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.

Salah did, however, pick up the Puskas Award for Goal of the Year, thanks to his strike against Everton in 2017. This was in controversial circumstances, however, as many people believed that there were a number of better goals nominated for the awards.

There was also some debate about the FIFPro World XI. David de Gea was selected in goal, behind of a back four of PSG’s Dani Alves, and the Real Madrid trio of Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane and Marcelo.

In midfield, N’Golo Kante was selected in the side for the first team and was joined by Chelsea team-mate Eden Hazard, and another Real Madrid player, Luka Modric.

In the front three, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were once again selected in the team, and there was also the first-ever selection for French wonderkid Kylian Mbappe.

Here is an alternative Team of the Year of players who didn’t make it into this year’s XI.

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Thibaut Courtois

Courtois completed a move to Real Madrid this summer

This one’s a pretty easy one. Courtois was named Goalkeeper of the Year at the ceremony, so it makes very little sense that he did not make the World XI. There is a debate as to whether he did have a better year than David de Gea, but given that he was named as the best Goalkeeper at the World Cup, along with his award on Monday, he probably should have been included in this XI.

Joshua Kimmich

It is truly baffling that Dani Alves is still being selected in the World XI. He has been included regularly in the past, and rightly so because he has been a world class defender over the years. However, over the last 12 months, he hasn’t even been a regular fixture in PSG’s side, rotating with Thomas Meunier. He also missed the World Cup with an injury. One man deserving of a spot in the side is Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich. He has been superb for Bayern over the past 12 months, and despite being part of Germany’s disastrous World Cup campaign, he has been the best right back in the world this year.

Giorgio Chiellini

Chiellini had another excellent season with Juventus

Chiellini has been one of the top defenders in the world for a long time now and is seen as one of the few real old fashioned defenders playing the game now. Obviously, he wasn’t at the World Cup as Italy failed to qualify, but that didn’t seem to harm Dani Alves’ chances. He had another successful year with Juventus, during which he won his seventh consecutive Serie A title, and had it not been for a controversial late penalty against Real Madrid, was in with a good chance of reaching the Champions League semi-final once again.

Diego Godin

Arguably the best center back in the world right now. Godin has been superb for Atletico Madrid over the past few years and was once again a key part of Uruguay’s side at the World Cup. He also won the Europa League with Atletico Madrid, the only major honor that he picked up over the last year. He has once again proven that he is one of the top defenders in world football, and more than deserving of a spot in the World XI.

Jordi Alba

Alba was a key part of Barcelona's title-winning side last season

It has been Alba and Marcelo in contention for this place in the side for a number of years, and it was Marcelo who came out on top this year, having helped Real Madrid to their third consecutive Champions League title in May. It was though another successful season for Alba, who was part of the Barcelona side who dominated LaLiga and came within two games of going unbeaten.

Casemiro

In an era where Real Madrid have dominated the Champions League, Casemiro has almost gone unnoticed at times, which is harsh on the Brazilian. It has regularly been the more glamorous players, the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, and this year Gareth Bale, who has taken credit. However, Casemiro is now one of the top defensive midfielders in the world, and although it makes sense that N’Golo Kante made it into the team ahead of him, the Brazilian would have been worthy of a spot in the side.

Kevin de Bruyne

de Bruyne was brilliant for City last year

It was a massive surprise that de Bruyne didn’t make the World XI. He had a special season with Manchester City last time out and established himself as one of the top midfielders in the world. He was unfortunate to miss out on the PFA Player of the Year Award, having made an impressive 16 Premier League assists last season, leading his side to the Premier League title for the third time. He also helped Belgium to third place at the World Cup and was certainly deserving as a spot in the World XI.

Isco

Another member of Real Madrid’s star-studded midfield who missed out on a place in the World XI. The Spaniard is one of the more technically gifted players in that midfield, and has the ability to pick a pass in the final third and see an option where others wouldn’t. He may have suffered slightly from Spain’s failure at the World Cup, where they were knocked out by hosts Russia at the Round of 16. He will be a more important part of that Spanish midfield though, given Andres Iniesta’s international retirement.

Mohamed Salah

Salah scored 32 times in the Premier League for Liverpool last season

It was baffling that Salah didn’t make the World XI, having made the three-man shortlist for Best Player award, ahead of the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Eden Hazard, all of whom were selected in the side. Salah scored an unprecedented 32 Premier League goals last season, the most by anyone in a 38-game season. He also helped Liverpool to the Champions League Final, where unfortunately everything ended in tears, after having to come off because of a first-half injury.

Antoine Griezmann

Given the success that Griezmann has achieved at both club and international level over the last year, it was a surprise to see him left out of the team. He helped lead Atletico Madrid to the Europa League title, beating Marseille in the final. The biggest part of his success was at the World Cup though, where he helped lead France to their second world title. He set up one goal, and scored another, and won the Bronze Ball for being the third best player at the tournament.

Harry Kane

He may have had a tough start to the season, but Kane had perhaps his best season individually last season, and won the Golden Boot at the World Cup. He scored 30 goals in the Premier League last season, finishing second to just Mohamed Salah in the scoring charts. Although England missed out on a spot in the World Cup Final, he scored six times at the tournament, in doing so became the first Englishman to win the Golden Boot since Gary Lineker in 1986.