Ballon d’Or winner Harry Kane snubbed, Lionel Messi named in FIFPRO Team of the Year
Harry Kane was among the biggest names missing from the FIFPRO World 11-man squad despite winning the 2026 Ballon d’Or. High-profile players named in the squad included Jude Bellingham, Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal.
Buzzard, who received the Ballon d’Or on October 26he was shortlisted for the prestigious World 11. However, the Bayern Munich forward failed to receive enough votes to earn a place in the final selection. A total of 19,806 professional footballers from 73 countries took part in the voting.
Kane’s Bayern team-mate Michael Olise and last year’s Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele were also left out. Meanwhile, Messi has returned to the World XI after three years away from the team. The Argentina captain was selected for the 18th time, extending his remarkable record.
Yamal also made history by becoming the first teenager to receive the team’s second pick. The Barcelona and Spain striker finished third in the Ballon d’Or 2026. Mbappe, who finished second to Kane in the Ballon d’Or race, was included in the front row alongside Haaland, Messi and Yamal.
Bellingham was named in a midfield with Barcelona’s Rodrigo and Paris Saint-Germain’s Vitinha. Rodri finished fourth in the Ballon d’Or rankings, while Vitinha also earned recognition for his performances with the French club.
Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi joins PSG duo Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes in the back line, while Arsenal and Spain goalkeeper David Raya has been selected between the posts.
Kane wasn’t the only prominent name to be overlooked. PSG winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Dembele, who finished sixth and seventh in the Ballon d’Or voting, also failed to make the final team.
FIFPRO MEN’S TEAM OF THE YEAR
Keeper
David Raya (Arsenal, Spain)
Defenders
Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona, Spain)
Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain, Morocco)
Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal)
Reserves
Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid/England)
Rodri (Manchester City/Barcelona, Spain)
Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal)
Attackers
Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Norway)
Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid, France)
Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, Argentina)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain)
– The end