The Best FIFA Football Awards were held on Monday night where the governing body of football determines which players warrant a place in the FIFPro World XI and which player has been the best in the world over the last 12 months.
Following a glittering year which saw him win the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid and reach a World Cup Final with Croatia, Luka Modric scooped the biggest prize for the first ever time.
The central midfielder beat Mohamed Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo to the trophy and ended a run of 10 years where it has been won by either Lionel Messi or Ronaldo. Despite being part of the three-man shortlist for the prize, Salah actually missed out on the World XI. Although, there were three other Premier League representatives, two of which from Chelsea in Eden Hazard and N’Golo Kante who were joined by David de Gea in the team.
Both Blues stars played vital roles for their respective nations over the summer as Kante helped his country lift the World Cup while Hazard was the 2nd best player of the tournament as Belgium secured a strong 3rd-place finish. Their work for Chelsea also won’t have gone unnoticed and whilst under Antonio Conte the team failed to perform, the two World XI players were brilliant throughout the season.
Real Madrid dominated the XI as there were places for Modric, Raphael Varane, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo who was of course in the Spanish capital for the whole of last season as they won their third Champions League in a row. Didier Deschamps scooped the Best Manager award because of his country’s success in Russia whilst Mo Salah had to settle for the Puskas award for his goal against Everton in December.
The full team is incredibly strong but after coming 3rd in the votes for the Best Player award, it is a huge surprise to see the Liverpool star not included in the World XI. Here’s the squad in full:
David de Gea
Dani Alves
Sergio Ramos
Raphael Varane
Marcelo
Luka Modric
N’Golo Kante
Eden Hazard
Lionel Messi
Kylian Mbappe
Cristiano Ronaldo
