Salah and Hakimi compete with Messi and Ronaldo in the initial FIFPRO Best XI list

The International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPRO) announced on Tuesday the preliminary list of 26 players nominated for the 2025 Best XI in the world.

The list featured notable Arab representation, with Egyptian star Mohamed Salah of Liverpool and Moroccan star Achraf Hakimi of Paris Saint-Germain included.

The list also included veteran stars, Argentine Lionel Messi of Inter Miami and Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo of Al-Nassr, continuing their competition for a spot in the Team of the Year.

Outstanding Arab achievements The nominations of the two Arab stars come after an exceptional season for each:

• Mohamed Salah: The Egyptian star led Liverpool to win the Premier League last season, and beyond the team achievement, he dominated individual awards by claiming the Golden Boot as top scorer and the Best Playmaker award in the Premier League.
• Achraf Hakimi: The Moroccan star had a historic season with Paris Saint-Germain, winning the UEFA Champions League, followed by the UEFA Super Cup, in addition to maintaining domestic titles in France.

The only award determined by players’ votes FIFPRO noted that this football award holds a special status as “the only football award decided exclusively by professional footballers” worldwide.

This year’s edition saw a record participation, with nearly 20,000 professional players casting votes to select their peers for the ideal team.

The 26 nominees:

Goalkeepers:

• Alisson Becker (Liverpool)
• Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
• Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain)

Defenders:

• Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
• Pau Cúper (Barcelona)
• Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
• Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain)
• Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain)
• Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain)
• William Saliba (Arsenal)

Midfielders:

• Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
• Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
• Luka Modrić (Real Madrid)
• João Neves (Benfica)
• Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
• Pedri (Barcelona)
• Federico Valverde (Real Madrid)
• Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain)

Forwards:

• Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain)
• Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
• Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid)
• Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
• Raphinha (Barcelona)
• Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr)
• Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
• Lamin Yamal (Barcelona)

The final Best XI of the world is scheduled to be announced on November 3.