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The nominees for the FIFA FIFPro World XI were released last week. The list represents a showcase of the best talents in the world, showing who’s the cream of the crop. Fifty-five players will be whittled down to 11, as the eleven best players on the globe will be decided. The official World Pro XI is set to finally be announced on the 23rd of October. The list was voted for by 25,000 professional players across the world.
The 55-man list has the obvious suspects such as; Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar, the undisputed elite figures in world football today. Fifty-five players may seem like a lot now, but somehow there have been a lot glaring omissions from the shortlist.
Here are Top 5 players missing from the World Pro XI nominees:
#5 Gonzalo Higuain
As the crown jewel of a Juventus side that just won its sixth consecutive Serie A title, Gonzalo Higuain was somehow excluded from the “world’s best.” Scoring 32 goals in all competitions is no easy feat and without Higuain, Juventus wouldn’t have been as successful as they were.
He may have cost the Serie A champions £75 million, but Higuain has been worth every penny, as he’s delivered on the biggest of stages, consistently.
Gonzalo Higuain is a clinical goalscorer who also brings in other players into the game. He connects well with others and ensures everybody’s on the same wavelength.
He’s basically the glue that holds Juventus’ attack together and his influence is unrivalled.
#4 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
There was no place either for the world’s most explosive striker. The Gabonese striker not only has electric pace to burn, he has the football brain to accompany it.
He’s a rare blend of speed, technical superiority and composure in front of goal. How a man that scored 40 goals in all competitions last season didn’t make it onto the list is bemusing.
There’s a reason why this man has been so heavily linked with Real Madrid over the past few windows and he’s the man who could take the Galacticos to a whole new level. He’s versatile and effective in all positions across the front three.
And as of today, there are not many strikers more clinical than him in front of goal.
#3 Kevin De Bruyne
The fact that no Manchester City player made it onto the list may suggest that their trophyless season has affected the judgement of the mass. Pep Guardiola’s first season in Manchester wasn’t particularly successful and that seems to have had a knock-on effect on his world-class players.
The snub of Kevin De Bruyne is a slap in the face of the Premier League, as it proves that if you aren’t playing for a Madrid or Barcelona, your productivity is basically ignored.
Nobody in the Premier League provided more assists that Kevin De Bruyne, not even Mesut Özil, the same Mesut Özil who’s on the list ahead of De Bruyne.
The City midfielder also created an unprecedented 101 chances in 37 PL appearances. The 26-year old is not just creative but productive and the driving engine of Manchester City.
#2 Thibaut Courtois
The exclusion of Thibaut Courtois not only proves that this list doesn’t have all the best players in the world, it proves that the Premier League’s best players aren’t rated that highly.
The Belgian not only won the Premier League last season, he was the Golden Glove winner in the world’s most watched league. He was the backbone of a Chelsea side that revolutionized the league with an unbeatable 3-4-3 system.
Despite keeping 9 more clean sheets than Keylor Navas, the Madrid keeper was given the nod ahead of the Belgian, as was Jan Oblak. No offence to Navas, but Real Madrid conceded the most goals (41) out of the top 3 Spanish teams last season.
Thibaut Courtois should be on that list by default and his absence reduces the credibility of the whole process.
#1 Sergio Agüero
As one of the best strikers to ever grace the Premier League, Sergio Agüero is already a legend in the game. He’s taken goalscoring to new heights in England and doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of slowing down.
The Argentinean scored 32 goals in 37 appearances for City last season, a tally not rivalled by many in world football. Surprising enough, it’s the highest tally he’s ever recorded for a season.
There are not many strikers on the planet that I’d rather have in my starting XI than Sergio Agüero, Luis Suárez is arguably the only one. So how the goal-machine was omitted from the 55-man shortlist is a mystery to me and makes a mockery of the list.
