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The FIFPro Men's World XI for 2021 has finally been announced.
The squad notably features Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the headline positions, despite the pair being far from the peak of their powers. FIFPro also found a way to squeeze Bundesliga strikers Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland into the team to form an attack-heavy 3-3-4 lineup.
However, the fantastic strikers are among the few who have made the list, with a number of highly talented players unable to make it into the team. Most notably, Liverpool’s Egyptian talisman, Mohamed Salah, failed to make the cut despite being a finalist for the Best FIFA Men's award. Salah has also scored more club goals (38) than Messi (34) and Ronaldo (34) in 2021.
The Egyptian is not the only player absent from the list, but his non-selection is notable especially following his comments concerning the awards. Earlier this month, Salah discussed winning awards like the Ballon d'Or but stated it was just politics:
"I want to be the best player in the world. But I will have a good life even if I don’t win [the Ballon d’Or]. My life is OK, everything is fine. Sometimes I feel it’s just politics."
Salah’s words will carry even more weight now, with the forward excluded from the FIFPro team while Ronaldo and Messi made the cut.
Here is a list of five players who have enjoyed a very successful 2021 and will be well within their rights to take their exclusion from the team to heart:
#5 Trent Alexander-Arnold | Liverpool
It came as little surprise when Liverpool star right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold made it to the shortlist back in December. After all, the young star enjoyed a great run of form to end the 2020-21 season, aiding his team with seven Premier League assists.
This season, however, has seen Alexander-Arnold explode like never before. Just halfway through the campaign, the 23-year-old has managed ten assists in the league, the highest so far. His Champions League outings have been just as brilliant, with the England international picking up two assists in just three appearances.
With FIFPro's surprising 3-3-4 formation, it was rather unlikely that Alexander-Arnold would be added to the center-back slot. In a more realistic formation (4-3-3 or 4-4-2), the Liverpool man would certainly have been the main contender in his position.
#4 Mohamed Salah | Liverpool
Last season saw the Egyptian maestro enjoy one of his best goal-scoring streaks as a Liverpool player. The ongoing season has continued in similar and exciting fashion for Mohamed Salah.
22 Premier League goals in 35 games saw the star end up just behind Harry Kane in the race for the Premier League Golden Boot in the 2020-21 campaign. This time around, he's already looking like the clear winner with 16 goals so far.
The star will feel hard done about his exclusion from the FIFpro XI, especially after Lionel Messi's torrid season has seen the Argentine score just one league goal. Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, has fared better but has still managed just eight Premier League goals, half of Salah's 16.
The Egyptian international has arguably been the best player in the world this season and was deserving of a slot in FIFPro's four-man attack.
#3 Karim Benzema | Real Madrid
Karim Benzema is another notable absentee from this year's FIFPro Men's World XI.
Ever since Cristiano Ronaldo exited Real Madrid four seasons ago, Benzema has spearheaded Los Blancos' attack consistently. Players like Gareth Bale have struggled to adapt in the post-Ronaldo era. However, the Frenchman has taken up his new role in his stride, scoring 23 La Liga goals last season.
Notably, Benzema has crossed the 20-goal mark in La Liga for three straight seasons and looks set to do so again this term.
Currently enjoying a brilliant campaign with the Merengues, the powerful striker has recorded an astonishing run of form in the final third. Netting 17 goals just halfway through La Liga has seen the star lead the goalscoring charts in Spain.
Real Madrid are clearly on track to win the league title and much of it has been thanks to Benzema's eye for goal and his partnership with Vinicius Jr. This is why it is a surprise that the French international has been excluded from the FIFPro XI, even though he made the shortlist.
#2 Kylian Mbappe | PSG
Another player who made the shortlist but was unable to get into the final squad was Benzema's fellow Frenchman Kylian Mbappe.
Last season may not have been his most prolific in front of goal, but the young star was clearly on fire and recorded 27 strikes in just 31 Ligue 1 games. Those numbers made him the top-scorer in the French top-flight during the 2020-21 campaign.
This season has seen the vibrant attacker pick up fewer goals, as he has found the back of the net just 10 times in 19 league games. However, his creativity has improved, with Mbappe picking up a brilliant eight assists so far. His exclusion will certainly not go down well with the star's fans.
Mbappe also made it to the UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season, and his exclusion from FIFPro's XI has had many fans questioning the award.
#1 Edouard Mendy | Chelsea
Perhaps the most shocking exclusion from FIFPro's starting lineup is Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
Only three goalkeepers were shortlisted for the spot, including PSG's Gianluigi Donnarumma and Liverpool's Allison Becker. After his key role in winning the Champions League with Chelsea, Mendy's presence in the starting XI should've been a given.
Besides, Mendy also won the Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper 2021 Award which should have also put him in the FIFPro XI easily.
With Donnarumma taking the slot between the sticks instead, Chelsea fans will have to make do with midfielders N'Golo Kante and Jorginho making the lineup. This isn't the first time Donnarumma has beaten Mendy to an important award this season, having picked up the Yashin Trophy ahead of the Senegalese.
Interestingly, Mendy kept more clean sheets (15) in the Premier League than Donnarumma kept across all of his club appearances last year (15). Yet the Chelsea star missed out on the coveted award which will certainly aggrieve the Blues faithful.
