Five goalkeepers shortlisted for FIFA FIFPro World XI 2013

Monday 2 December 2013

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FIFPro, the worldwide players’ union, and FIFA today announced the five goalkeepers shortlisted for the FIFA/FIFPro World XI 2013 (see list below) as part of the final 55-player shortlist to be revealed on 9 December 2013.

This year, all of the shortlists for the individual positions, including today’s goalkeeper shortlist, will be released in the week leading up to the announcement of the final, complete shortlist. The shortlists for the defenders, midfielders and forwards will be announced and published on FIFA.com on 4, 6 and 9 December respectively.

The goalkeeper shortlist is: (home country, club)
Gianluigi Buffon (Italy, Juventus); Iker Casillas (Spain, Real Madrid CF); Petr Cech (Czech Republic, Chelsea FC); Manuel Neuer (Germany, FC Bayern München), Víctor Valdes (Spain, FC Barcelona).

Find more information on the five goalkeepers on FIFA.com and make your own prediction, click here.

Mobile users can access the same page here.

The 50,000 professional footballers belonging to the players’ unions across the world that form FIFPro received voting forms to nominate their peers in a secret ballot for inclusion in their World XI – choosing the best goalkeeper, four defenders, three midfielders and three forwards of 2013.

The nominees for the following awards will be announced live on FIFA.com, francefootball.fr and YouTube on 9 December: FIFA Ballon d’Or, FIFA’s Women’s World Player of the Year, FIFA World Coaches of the Year for Men’s and Women’s Football, FIFA/FIFPro World XI, and the FIFA Puskás Award. Be online when the nominees are unveiled - you will be able to comment on all the action and lists! The best tweets and Facebook posts will be featured, background information on the FIFA Ballon d’Or will be provided live and surprise videos will be disclosed on our Live Blog. Stay tuned!

The final FIFA FIFPro World XI will then be announced at the FIFA Ballon d’Or award ceremony at the Kongresshaus in Zurich on 13 January 2014. During the televised ceremony, the winner of the FIFA Ballon d’Or for the best player of 2013 and the winner of the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year 2013 award will also be revealed and the FIFA World Coach of the Year awards for men’s and women’s football will be presented for the fourth time. The FIFA Puskás Award for the best goal of the year, the FIFA Presidential Award and the FIFA Fair Play Award will also be presented during the FIFA Ballon d’Or award ceremony.

 

Messi launches FIFA/FIFPro World XI vote

 Thursday 12 September 2013

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It has become somewhat of a tradition for Lionel Messi: in his capacity as the current holder of the FIFA Ballon d’Or, the Argentina and Barcelona star was again entrusted with officially kicking off the voting for the FIFA/FIFPro World XI, which will see footballers across the globe choose the 11 players they believe have outperformed the rest in 2013.

“The truth is that I’m happy to go first again,” said the man nicknamed La Pulga (the flea) after casting his vote on Thursday. “I’m proud that it’s my fellow players who get to vote – that’s what makes it very special. A footballer knows the reasons why another footballer is good, and that makes being included in this team a very significant award,” added Messi, before giving way to his Barça team-mates so that they could place their votes in the ballot box.

FIFA and the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPro) have been jointly running the election of the World XI for five years now. As usual, the announcement of the winners will be made at the FIFA Ballon d’Or Gala, which will be held on 13 January 2014 in Zurich (Switzerland).

The chosen few in 2012 had one thing in common: they all plied their trade in the Spanish Primera Division. The team featured Iker Casillas in goal, Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Daniel Alves and Marcelo in defence, Xabi Alonso, Xavi and Andrés Iniesta in midfield, and a fearsome attacking triumvirate of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Radamel Falcao.

Messi, a four-time winner of the FIFA Ballon d’Or, and Portuguese idol Cristiano Ronaldo both hold the record for most appearances, with each having been included six times, and it is not unreasonable to think that, given their current form, they will again be among the best 11 players in the world in the eyes of their peers. FIFPro has already sent out close to 50,000 ballot papers to 68 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas.

With regard to the vote, there is good news for members of The Club on FIFA.com, who will again have the chance to take part in the FIFA/FIFPro World XI Predictor game, which was met with great enthusiasm last year. The details of the game will be made public in the coming months, as well as the coveted prize, which last year consisted of a jersey signed by one of the World X.

Note to editors: FIFPro has been running its World XI since 2005. In 2009, the organisation joined forces with FIFA to present the 'FIFA/FIFPro World XI' at the FIFA World Player Gala, now known as the FIFA Ballon d’Or Gala.