Messi and Ronaldo are featured in the nomination for the world's best team

Despite having left European football, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo still maintain their impact by appearing together in the 2025 World Best XI nomination list released by FIFPRO.

According to the announcement made last night, FIFPRO revealed 26 top players of the 2024-25 season, including 3 goalkeepers, 7 defenders, 8 midfielders, and 8 forwards. All were selected based on their outstanding performances for their clubs and national teams throughout the year.

The biggest highlight is the inclusion of the two living legends, Messi and Ronaldo. Even though they have played for Inter Miami (USA) and Al Nassr (Saudi Arabia) respectively, this duo still receives global recognition from fellow players. To date, Messi has been voted into the FIFPRO Best XI 17 times, while Ronaldo has been honored 15 times—numbers unprecedented in football history.

PSG leads with 7 nominated players, including Donnarumma, Hakimi, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Joao Neves, and Ousmane Dembele. This dominance is unsurprising as the French club recently completed a historic treble in the 2024-25 season, including the Champions League title.

Additionally, despite a trophyless season, Real Madrid has 4 players nominated: Courtois, Bellingham, Valverde, and Mbappe, who won the European Golden Shoe last season. Barcelona is also well represented with 4 promising young talents: Cubarsi, Pedri, Lamine Yamal, and Raphinha.

Liverpool, the reigning Premier League champions, have 4 stars nominated: Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold (who has since transferred), and Mohamed Salah. Other notable Premier League players like Cole Palmer, William Saliba, and Erling Haaland also feature in the nomination list.

The 2025 World Best XI will be decided through votes from professional players worldwide, with the official 11-player lineup announced on November 3rd. Last year, FIFPRO honored stars such as Ederson, Van Dijk, Rudiger, Carvajal, Bellingham, Kroos, Rodri, De Bruyne, Vinicius, Haaland, and Mbappe, and fans are eager to see if Messi or Ronaldo will return to this prestigious team.