Both superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were included on the shortlist of 23 players for the team of the year that was voted by the professional footballers’ association (FIFPro). The nine-player group that Man City employed was able to win the “treble” of the season.

In spite of the fact that Ronaldo will be playing in the Saudi Pro League for Al Nassr Club in 2023, after having left Manchester United, he is still considered for the position. With 54 goals scored for both his club and national team, the superstar, who is 38 years old, will finish the year 2023 as the highest scorer in world football.

The participation of Ronaldo is sure to come as a surprise to many people, especially when one considers the relative strength of Saudi Arabia’s premier league in comparison to major European leagues. However, it is impossible to dispute the extraordinary scoring form of the former Manchester United star. He also excelled in helping Portugal secure a ticket to the European Championship in 2024, scoring 10 goals, which was just four goals less than Romelu Lukaku’s total of 14 goals.

After gathering votes from 28,000 professional players, the shortlist revealed that Man City players were the most dominant. Man City was the side that won the “quintuple” in 2023, which included the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League, European Super Cup, and the most recent FIFA Club World Cup.I am a spanner.

Over the course of 53 matches, Erling Haaland has scored 52 goals for Manchester City, making him the team’s most valuable player. As a result of their contributions, Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne, and Bernardo Silva were featured in the squad. Ederson, Ruben Dias, John Stones, and Kyle Walker were also chosen in the squad.

There are nine players from Manchester City that have been considered for the usual team of the year.There are nine players from Manchester City that have been considered for the usual team of the year.

Additionally, Ilkay Gundogan, a player who transferred to Barcelona in the summer, was included on the shortlist. Gundogan won all three titles while serving as captain of Manchester City.

Among the four players who are representing England are Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, as well as Walker and Stones, two players from Manchester City. The England team also includes two players from Manchester United. Kane and Bellingham both had a very good year while playing for the club and for England. Both of them were also on the England team. Despite the fact that the two players went on to have successful careers with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich after high-profile summer transfers, the nomination was given to them because of their performances with Dortmund and Tottenham.

From the 19th of December 2022 to the 20th of August 2023, votes are officially counted. This period of time encompasses the outcome of the 2022 World Cup final, which took place in Qatar and was won by the Argentina team led by superstar Lionel Messi. To date, La Pulga has been selected for inclusion on the best team of the FIFPro sixteen times, and he now has the opportunity to extend his record even further.

Kylian Mbappe, the former colleague of the player who played for Paris Saint-Germain and who scored a hat-trick in the World Cup final that France lost, was also on the shortlist alongside the great player from Inter Miami.

Real Madrid is the team that has the second-highest number of players participating, with players such as Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, Luka Modric, Federico Valverde, and Vinicius Jr. Real Madrid is right behind Man City. Karim Benzema, a striker who formerly played for Los Blancos and who is presently playing for Al Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League, is also included in the list of notable players.

Shortlist

Goalie

Ederson (Man City, Brazil) 

Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid, Belgium)

Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa, Argentina)

Defender

Ruben Dias (Man City, Portugal)

Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool, Hà Lan)

Eder Militao (Real Madrid, Brazil)

Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid, Germany)

John Stones (Man City, Anh)

Kyle Walker (Man City, Anh)

Midfielder

Jude Bellingham (Dortmund/Real Madrid, Anh)

Kevin De Bruyne (Man City, Belgium)

Ilkay Gundogan (Man City/Barcelona, ​​Germany)

Luka Modric (Real Madrid, Croatia)

Rodri (Man City, Spain)

Bernardo Silva (Man City, Portugal)

Federico Valverde (Real Madrid, Uruguay)

Striker

Karim Benzema (Real Madrid/Al Ittihad, France)

Erling Haaland (Man City, Na Uy)

Harry Kane (Tottenham/Bayern Munich, England)

Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain, Pháp)

Lionel Messi (PSG/Inter Miami, Argentina)

Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr, Portugal)

Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid, Brazil)