In July and August this year the 45,000 professional footballers
belonging to the 42 professional organisations across the world
that form FIFPro received voting forms in a secret ballot to
nominate their peers for inclusion in their World XI - choosing
the four defenders, three midfielders, three forwards and
goalkeeper they most admire.
It is striking that, out of the 55 nominees, almost all were
playing in Italy, Spain and England last season. The English
Premiership attracted the most nominees with twenty, followed by
the Spanish Primera Division with seventeen and Italys Serie A
with fifteen. The Bundesliga in Germany generated two nominees, and
the French Ligue 1 and Argentines Primera Division also provided
one each.
Champions League winner AC Milan heads the list for the most
nominations with nine, Manchester United have eight, Barcelona,
Chelsea and Real Madrid seven, Valencia, Liverpool, Inter, AS Roma
and Bayern Munich two and there is one each from Juventus,
Fiorentina, Sevilla, Villareal, Arsenal, West Ham United, Tottenham
Hotspur, Olympique Lyon and Boca Juniors.
Italy leads the way with the most players in the short list with
eleven, followed by nine Englishmen, seven from Brazil, six from
Spain, four from Argentina, three from Holland, France and
Portugal, and Bulgaria, Germany, Romania, Serbia, the Czech
Republic, Sweden, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Cameroon each provide one
player in the 55.
The 55 player shortlist in full is: (Home country/ Club
2006/2007)
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Italy/ Juventus), Iker Casillas
(Spain/ Real Madrid), Petr Cech (Czech Republic/ Chelsea), Nelson
de Jesus Silva Dida (Brazil/ AC Milan), Edwin van der Sar
(Holland/ Manchester United)
Defenders: Éric Abidal (France/ Olympique Lyon), Daniel Alves
(Brazil/ Sevilla), Roberto Ayala (Argentina/ Valencia), Fabio
Cannavaro (Italy/ Real Madrid), Roberto Carlos da Silva (Brazil/
Real Madrid), Jamie Carragher (England/ Liverpool), Ricardo
Carvalho (Portugal/ Chelsea), Cristian Chivu (Romania/ AS Roma),
Ashley Cole (England/ Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand (England/ Manchester
United), Philipp Lahm (Germany/ Bayern Munich), Ferreira Lucio
(Brazil/Bayern Munich), Paolo Maldini (Italy/ AC Milan), Marco
Materazzi (Italy/ Inter), Alessandro Nesta (Italy/ AC Milan),
Carles Puyol (Spain/ Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Spain/ Real Madrid),
John Terry (England/ Chelsea), Nemanja Vidic (Serbia/ Manchester
United), Gianluca Zambrotta (Italy/ Juventus).
Midfielders: David Beckham (England/ Real Madrid), Anderson Deco
(Portugal/ Barcelona), Mickaël Essien (Ghana/ Chelsea), Gennaro
Gattuso (Italy/ AC Milan), Steven Gerrard (England/ Liverpool),
Andrès Iniesta (Spain/ Barcelona), Ricardo Kaká (Brazil/ AC Milan),
Frank Lampard (England/ Chelsea), Claude Makélélé (France/
Chelsea), Andrea Pirlo (Italy/ AC Milan), Juan Roman Riquelme
(Argentina/ Villareal/Boca Juniors), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/
Manchester United), Paul Scholes (England/ Manchester United),
Clarence Seedorf (Holland/ AC Milan), Xavi (Spain/
Barcelona).
Forwards: Dimitar Berbatov (Bulgaria/ Tottenham Hotspur), Didier
Drogba (Ivory Coast/ Chelsea), Samuel Etoo (Cameroon/ Barcelona),
Thierry Henry (France/ Arsenal), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden/
Inter), Filippo Inzaghi (Italy/ AC Milan), Lionel Messi (Argentina/
Barcelona), Ruud van Nistelrooy (Holland/ Real Madrid), Ronaldinho
(Brazil/ Barcelona), Ronaldo (Brazil/ Real Madrid/ AC Milan), Wayne
Rooney (England/ Manchester United), Carlos Tévez (Argentina/ West
Ham United), Luca Toni (Italy/ Fiorentina), Francesco Totti (Italy/
AS Roma), David Villa (Spain/ Valencia).
Ronaldinho, FIFPro World Player of the Year in 2005 and in 2006,
opened the FIFPro World XI 2007 elections in June: The football
world has presented many awards, but to be chosen by your own
colleagues really means the most to me. They know what you need to
reach the top, they understand the game and if they consider you to
be the best, and if they want you to receive this award, then this
will give you the greatest satisfaction.
