Ballon d'Or winner Harry Kane has been excluded from the FIFPRO Men's World 11 for 2026, the first time a Ballon d'Or recipient has missed the peer-voted team.
Sky Sports reported that over 18,000 professional footballers selected the final lineup from a group of 26 finalists. The Bayern Munich star finished fifth among forwards with 27.6 percent of the vote, narrowly trailing Manchester City’s Erling Haaland at 28.4 percent.
Haaland Leads Peer Votes While Kane Misses Out
- Erling Haaland solidifies his elite status after capturing 28.4 percent of peer votes, maintaining pole position for another Premier League Golden Boot.
- Harry Kane’s omission despite winning the Ballon d’Or highlights a lingering divergence between media voting panels and professional player assessments in global football markets.
- David Raya’s inclusion in the FIFPRO World 11 reinforces his status as a top-tier fantasy asset between the posts.
Peer Voting Dynamics
The selection process involved 19,806 professional players across 73 countries, according to TNT Sports. The voting pool was restricted to athletes who appeared in at least 30 official matches between August 2025 and July 2026.
The 2026 FIFPRO Men’s #World11 ✨ Decided exclusively by 19,806 professional men’s footballers worldwide. By the players, for the players 🏆 pic.twitter.com/MnHEMHxtf1
Kylian Mbappe recorded the highest vote share among all forwards at 46 percent. Alongside Mbappe and Haaland, the forward line features Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi.
Messi extended his record number of appearances in the Men’s World XI to 18. Yamal made history by becoming the first player to be chosen twice while still a teenager.
Congratulations on making the FIFPRO World XI 2026, Cubarsí! 👏 pic.twitter.com/kxx58txhR5
Defensive and Midfield Selections
Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya secured the spot between the posts following an impressive campaign that included the Premier League Golden Glove and a title run.
The defensive unit consists of Pau Cubarsi of Barcelona alongside Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes. The midfield features Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid, Rodri of Manchester City and Barcelona, and Vitinha of Paris Saint-Germain.
| Position | Player | Club | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | David Raya | Arsenal | Spain |
| Defender | Achraf Hakimi | Paris Saint-Germain | Morocco |
| Defender | Pau Cubarsi | Barcelona | Spain |
| Defender | Nuno Mendes | Paris Saint-Germain | Portugal |
| Midfielder | Vitinha | Paris Saint-Germain | Portugal |
| Midfielder | Rodri | Manchester City / Barcelona | Spain |
| Midfielder | Jude Bellingham | Real Madrid | England |
| Forward | Lamine Yamal | Barcelona | Spain |
| Forward | Erling Haaland | Manchester City | Norway |
| Forward | Lionel Messi | Inter Miami | Argentina |
| Forward | Kylian Mbappe | Real Madrid | France |
Women’s World 11 Honors
FIFPRO also announced the Women’s World 11, which saw seven players from the Women’s Super League named to the squad. Over 6,500 women’s footballers from 64 countries participated in the voting process.
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An outstanding year between the sticks 🧤 David Raya has been named in the 2026 FIFPRO World 11 👏
The 2026 FIFPRO Men’s #World11 ✨ By the players, for the players. pic.twitter.com/B7hlwVuLgj
