Shock Absences in FifPro Women's World XI Shortlist

The unveiling of the FifPro Women's World XI shortlist on Monday left many in disbelief, especially with the absence of several prominent players. This 26-player shortlist, chosen by over 6,500 female footballers globally, is unique in that it relies solely on votes from peers. It’s a significant accolade in the footballing world, but the omission of five top 10 Ballon d'Or finishers has created quite the buzz. Among the most notable exclusions is Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw, who ranked third in the recent Ballon d'Or ceremony. Other surprising absentees include Malawi's Temwa Chawinga, Haiti's Melchie Dumornay, Barcelona's Caroline Graham Hansen, and Denmark's Pernille Harder. In contrast, England's Ella Toone, Chloe Kelly, and Aggie Beever-Jones made the cut, which raised eyebrows given their recent squad omissions from the Lionesses. The shortlist was compiled through votes from 6,511 women footballers across 64 nations, all via an online platform managed by FifPro. The players eligible for nomination needed to participate in at least 20 games during the voting period, which spanned from August 4, 2025, to August 16, 2026. The winners will be revealed on November 9 at 1 PM GMT. This year’s World XI will feature a goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders, and three forwards with the highest votes, plus one additional outfield player with the next highest tally. Votes for players nominated in multiple positions are combined for this selection. Controversy surrounding the shortlist isn't new. Last year, Mariona Caldentey, a Ballon d'Or runner-up, was similarly overlooked, and in 2024, four of the top five Ballon d'Or nominees missed the shortlist, including Graham Hansen. This time, Shaw, the top scorer for Manchester City during their league and FA Cup double-winning campaign, was notably absent despite her impressive record of 21 goals in 22 matches. The selections of Toone, Kelly, and Beever-Jones were questioned, especially since all three had been left out of the latest Lionesses squad. Beever-Jones had only netted seven times across club and country during the voting period, while Toone and Kelly faced their own struggles with form. Conversely, Lauren Hemp and Lauren James, who shone for Manchester City and Chelsea respectively, also missed the shortlist, leaving fans puzzled. However, Ada Hegerberg does feature on the list, despite a subpar season by her standards, where she didn’t score in the Women's Champions League knockout stages and was not a regular starter for Lyon. The full shortlist includes goalkeepers like Ann-Katrin Berger and Hannah Hampton, defenders such as Lucy Bronze and Alex Greenwood, midfielders including Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas, and forwards like Barbra Banda and Alessia Russo.