FIFPRO's 2025 World XI Shockingly Overlooks These Five Superstars
Monday brought the announcement of the 2025 FIFPRO World XI nominees, yet several deserving European talents were conspicuously missing, raising questions about the selection process.
Professional players numbering over 66,000 determine the annual FIFPRO World XI. The nominee list features Ballon d'Or champion Ousmane Dembélé, PFA Player of the Year Mohamed Salah, and double Kopa Trophy recipient Lamine Yamal.
Notable omissions include players such as Harry Kane, Désiré Doué, Viktor Gyökeres, and others.
Below are the five most significant snubs from the FIFPRO World XI nominee list.
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Harry Kane
Despite Harry Kane's move to Bayern Munich reducing his visibility in England's top flight two seasons back, he continues to rank among the world's elite strikers. Last campaign saw him top the Bundesliga scoring charts, register 41 goals across all tournaments, and claim his inaugural major trophy.
While trophy success shouldn't automatically guarantee inclusion, his omission surprises given his consistent goal-scoring excellence.
Kane placed fifth in the European Golden Boot standings, trailing Kylian Mbappé, Viktor Gyökeres, Mohamed Salah, and Robert Lewandowski. Half of these players received nominations while the other half didn't.
His exclusion represents an odd choice that underscores how Kane's abilities may be undervalued compared to his actual performance level.
Gabriel
Comparing Gabriel and William Saliba comes down to personal preference, though many Arsenal observers considered the Brazilian superior during the previous season.
One could argue he's maintained higher standards for an extended period. This doesn't diminish Saliba's impact or nomination worthiness, but rather emphasizes Gabriel's exceptional consistency. Beyond his defensive leadership and organizational skills at the back, he poses a significant attacking threat during set-piece situations.
Gabriel is already generating player of the season discussions for the current campaign, making his shortlist absence particularly notable.
Wojciech Szczęsny
Szczęsny emerged from retirement during the previous season to assist Barcelona during a challenging period. Hansi Flick faced his inaugural season managing the Catalan club while dealing with Marc-Andre ter Stegen's unavailability.
The former Arsenal, Juventus, and Roma goalkeeper made his debut on January 4th. By season's conclusion, he had added three more trophies to his collection as Barcelona achieved their first domestic treble.
While not the most glamorous omission, Szczęsny proved instrumental in Barcelona's successful campaign.
His contributions earned him a contract extension keeping him at the club until 2027.
Alexis Mac Allister
Either Mac Allister or Ryan Gravenberch deserved consideration for the list.
The glaring oversight involves both Liverpool midfielders being excluded. Arne Slot's successful debut season at Anfield heavily relied on the Argentine-Dutch midfield partnership. Mac Allister appeared in all but three Premier League matches last season, contributing ten goals and assists combined during Liverpool's title-winning campaign.
Liverpool's championship success would have been unlikely without Mac Allister and Gravenberch's consistent presence in their midfield engine room.
Moisés Caicedo
Chelsea's Caicedo proved himself among the Premier League's finest players, if not globally, during the previous season.
Caicedo featured in every Premier League fixture last season, helping secure top-four placement under Enzo Maresca's tactical system. The Ecuadorian excels at disrupting opposition play, maintaining possession flow, and possesses powerful shooting ability when opportunities arise.
His limited UEFA Conference League appearances (four matches) reflected Chelsea's squad depth, though he scored in the final. Caicedo also contributed significantly to their FIFA Club World Cup victory during the summer.
His omission represents another significant oversight from the selection committee.