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It is the end of the year and FIFA 22 fans are once again eagerly anticipating the arrival of everyone's favorite Team of the Year (TOTY) cards.
TOTY features player items for footballers who are the year's standout performers. These footballers have excelled at the individual and club level throughout the year. FIFA 22 will release special player items to celebrate their achievements.
Given that the best from world football will be part of this promo, TOTY items had extremely high demand in previous editions. It will be no different for FIFA 22 when the teams are released in January if EA Sports upkeeps the tradition of releases from past editions.
With so many footballers who make exceptional performances year-round, it is not easy for the FIFA 22 community to choose the starting XI. While the actual starting XI will only be known on the official release, here's a list of 11 footballers whose TOTY item deserves to be part of the starting squad.
Which footballers will have their items in the starting XI of FIFA 22 Team of the Year (TOTY)?
Goalkeeper
Edouard Mendy - The Chelsea keeper will face stiff competition from Gianluigi Donnarumma. But it's largely believed that Mendy had better performances and he should likely be the keeper of FIFA 22 TOTY.
Right-back
Achraf Hakimi - Both Hakimi and Trent Alexander-Arnold had excellent seasons where they put in great performances, but courtesy of the Serie A title, the Moroccan will probably pip the man from Liverpool.
Left-back
Alphonso Davies - Despite not having that great season trophy-wise, the Canadian youngster will likely secure a position in FIFA 22 TOTY.
Centre-back
Ruben Dias was a revelation for Manchester City and marshaled the defense with expertise. Marquinhos had a terrific season for PSG, although he missed out on the Copa title with Brazil. It's quite likely that these two will form the pairing in FIFA 22 TOTY.
Central Defensive Midfielder
Jorginho - Joshua Kimmich could have been an alternative, but Jorginho had a wonderful season for Chelsea and Italy.
Central Midfielder
The two positions in FIFA 22 TOTY will be Bruno Fernandes and Ngolo Kante. Kante played an advanced role under Tuchel and won the UEFA Champions League and Bruno Fernandes created the highest number of chances among all outfield players in 2021.
Right-wing
This was the most challenging choice, but given Lionel Messi's year, it's unimaginable to think that the Argentine will not be in the starting XI of FIFA 22 TOTY.
Left-wing
Another tough battle but is likely to be won by Kylian Mbappe over his wonderful performances for PSG, despite having poor Euros.
Striker
It's the jigsaw's final piece, and there can be no better pick than Bayern Munich superstar Robert Lewandowski. He may have missed out on the Ballon D'Or but is almost guaranteed to lead the line-up for FIFA 22 TOTY.
Note: This article reflects the opinions of the writer.
