Ranking the 5 players with most appearances in the FIFPro World XI

#3 Sergio Ramos - 11 appearances

Sergio Ramos has made just one appearance for PSG since his move in the summer.

A born leader, Sergio Ramos has more appearances in the FIFPro World XI than any other defender. Ten of his 11 appearances came between 2011 and 2020, while he made his first appearance in the World XI in 2008.

The former Real Madrid star struggled with fitness issues this year. Because of that and a trophyless 2020-21 campaign with the La Liga giants, he missed out on the 23-man shortlist. That makes Ramos one of the biggest absentees from the FIFPro World XI this year.

Nonetheless, he will be happy knowing that a great spell with Real Madrid has seen him make more appearances in the FIFPro World XI than any other defender. He will hope to secure his nomination next year with a great outing with PSG, after regaining his fitness.

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#2 Lionel Messi - 14 appearances

Lionel Messi at Ballon D'Or : Ceremony at Theatre du Chatelet in Paris

No player has made it to the FIFPro World XI more times than PSG superstar Lionel Messi. With 14 appearances in the hypothetical XI, he is tied with Cristiano Ronaldo for the honour.

Messi made his debut appearance in the 2007 edition of the ceremony. Since then, he has been voted one of the best forwards in the world in every single edition of the award.

Messi won his seventh Ballon d'Or award this year. So there's no doubt he is still one of the best players in the world. His insane goal-scoring rate and assists with Barcelona have helped him secure a place in the FIFPro World XI time and again.

Though he is slightly behind Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of goals for club and country, he leads the charts in all-time assists in football history. He has struggled in Ligue 1 this season, scoring only once in ten games. However, he should regain his mojo and end up with double-digit figures in goals and assists season this season too.

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#1 Cristiano Ronaldo - 14 appearances

Cristiano Ronaldo has enjoyed his return to Manchester United.

Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Manchester United this season, and has delivered results with a series of clutch goals, especially in the Champions League. He is the club's leading goalscorer across all competitions this campaign.

The Portuguese forward tops the list with 14 appearances in the FIFPro World XI. He also holds the unique honour of being voted into the shortlist ever since the first edition in 2005.

He scored 29 goals in Serie A last season with Juventus, adding the top-scorer's award in a third major European league to his name. So it is very likely that his dominance should continue in the FIFPro World XI, and be on the stage yet again in January next year.