Ballon d’Or: Every FIFPro XI since 2005

Picking a best XI for any team is a difficult task, but if you’re asked to pick just 11 players from the entire football world and stuff them in an orthodox formation, it’s borderline impossible.

Luckily this brain-twisting chore is the task of around 20,000 professional footballers, who all cast their vote for FIFA’s annual FIFPro World XI.

The chosen team will then be revealed at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Zurich, and the result will no doubt spark a mixed reaction of agreement, disagreement, outrage, happiness and social media warfare.

2004/05

Dida; Paolo Maldini, John Terry, Alessandro Nesta, Cafu; Frank Lampard, Zinedine Zidane, Claude Makelele; Samuel Eto’o, Andriy Shevchenko, Ronaldinho.

You would struggle to find a team that could cope with a spine consisting of Alessandro Nesta, Zinedine Zidane and Samuel Eto’o. Not only that, but the crafty attacking play coupled with the relentless defensive attributes of Paolo Maldini and Cafu is as close to full-back perfection as you’re ever going to get.

2005/06

Gianluigi Buffon; Gianluca Zambrotta, John Terry, Fabio Cannavaro, Lilian Thuram; Kaka, Zinedine Zidane, Andrea Pirlo; Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry, Samuel Eto’o.

Imagine the beauty of a midfield trio of Andrea Pirlo, Zidane and 2006 Kaka? Beautiful right? Pirlo picks the ball up deep and accurately slides it to Zizou, who plays a pinpoint through ball to Kaka who’s ghosted behind the opposition’s centre-backs and executes the finish. Perfection. I haven’t even mentioned the fact that Ronaldinho, Eto’o and Thierry Henry are just watching as this move takes place.

2006/07

Gianluigi Buffon; Carles Puyol, John Terry, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta; Steven Gerrard, Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo; Ronaldinho, Didier Drogba, Lionel Messi.

Enter Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo. Get used to them, as they’re going to be hanging around for a bit. A foursome of Ronaldinho, Messi, Didier Drogba and Ronaldo is something a manager could only dream of. Kaka and Steven Gerrard make up the more ‘defensive’ midfield roles, therefore it’s a good job you have Fabio Cannavaro, John Terry, Nesta and Carles Puyol at the back.

2007/08

Iker Casillas; Carles Puyol, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Sergio Ramos; Kaka, Steven Gerrard, Xavi; Cristiano Ronaldo, Fernando Torres, Lionel Messi.

Iker Casillas has now taken over from Gianluigi Buffon’s reign, and will feature in the best XI up until 2013. Fernando Torres has been placed alongside the lethal combination of Ronaldo and Messi after an outstanding season at Liverpool, where he scored 33 goals in 46 games. You may have noticed that a little Spanish playmaker named Xavi has come in to tighten up the midfield. Keep an eye on him, he’s decent.

2009

Iker Casillas; Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic, John Terry, Dani Alves; Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Steven Gerrard, Cristiano Ronaldo, Fernando Torres, Lionel Messi.

Wow, Terry was really exceptional wasn’t he. The Chelsea defender has now made the FIFPro XI for the fifth year in a row. This year saw the emergence of Manchester United’s Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra – who helped them reach the Champions League final – into the set-up, while Torres retained his spot alongside Ronaldo and Messi.

2010

Iker Casillas; Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique, Lucio, Maicon; Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Wesley Sneijder, Cristiano Ronaldo, David Villa, Lionel Messi.

After Inter Milan’s sensational Champions League win, Maicon, Lucio and Wesley Sneijder were all brought into the 2010 first XI. Gerard Pique had started to emerge as one of the finest central defenders in world football, and other Barcelona superstars Andres Iniesta, Xavi and David Villa were all selected, as Pep Guardiola started to create something special at the Camp Nou.

2011

Iker Casillas; Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Nemanja Vidic, Dani Alves, Andres Iniesta, Xabi Alonso, Xavi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Lionel Messi.

The team of 2011 had many of the same faces from the previous year, and with Iniesta, Xavi, Ronaldo and Messi not going anywhere soon, it meant just one spot in midfield and one up front were up for grabs. Xabi Alonso’s wonderful performances for Real Madrid saw him grab a place in the XI, and Wayne Rooney was introduced for the first time after a successful season at Old Trafford.

2012

Iker Casillas, Marcelo, Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos, Dani Alves; Andres Iniesta, Xabi Alonso, Xavi; Cristiano Ronaldo, Radamel Falcao, Lionel Messi.

In 2012 Radamel Falcao was putting in some high-flying performances for Atletico Madrid, and was rapidly turning into the best advanced forward in world football. The Colombian sits alongside Ronaldo and Messi, while Real Madrid’s Marcelo is brought into the defensive slots in place of Nemanja Vidic.

2013

Manuel Neuer; Philipp Lahm, Sergio Ramos, Thiago Silva, Dani Alves; Franck Ribery, Andres Iniesta, Xavi; Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Lionel Messi.

A new goalkeeper has taken over from Casillas, who had been present in the last five teams. Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer was starting to prove himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Bayern’s impressive treble during the 2012-13 campaign, that saw them win the Bundesliga, Champions League and German Cup, made sure that Franck Ribery and Philipp Lahm (who surprisingly hadn’t made the team before) were included.

2014

Manuel Neuer; Thiago Silva, Sergio Ramos, David Luiz, Philipp Lahm; Angel Di Maria, Toni Kroos, Andres Iniesta; Arjen Robben, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi.

Perhaps the most random team was selected in 2014’s Ballon d’Or ceremony, with Paris Saint-Germain’s David Luiz and Angel Di Maria making the first XI. Arjen Robben’s inclusion alongside Ronaldo and Messi was also slightly surprising. Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos and PSG’s Thiago Silva rightfully earned their place in the side.

2015

Manuel Neuer; Marcelo, Thiago Silva, Sergio Ramos, Dani Alves; Andres Iniesta, Luka Modric, Paul Pogba; Neymar, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Once more La Liga dominated as eight of the starting XI were selected from the Spanish top-flight, four players each from Barcelona and Real Madrid. Elsewhere, Thiago Silva of PSG was the only Ligue 1 representative, while Juventus’ Paul Pogba and Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer, were the sole picks from Italy’s Serie A and Germany’s Bundesliga. In total, there were five changes from the FIFPro XI selected in 2014 with Bayern’s Phillip Lahm and Arjen Robben among those to drop out. Ronaldo and Messi were included for the ninth successive year.

2016

Manuel Neuer; Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Dani Alves; Andres Iniesta, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric; Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi.

Antoine Griezmann, who was in the top three for the Player of the Year award, bizarrely misses out of the Team of the Year. Neuer and Dani Alves represent Bayern and Juventus as the only two players not to play for either Barcelona or Real Madrid. Thiago Silva, Neymar and Pogba all drop out of the XI from the previous season.

2017

Gianluigi Buffon; Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, Leonardo Bonucci, Dani Alves; Andres Iniesta, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric; Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi.

Just three changes came in the 2017 FIFPro XI with Gianluigi Buffon making his first appearance since 2006 after helping Juventus reach the Champions League final. Barcelona forward Neymar also regained his place from 2015, replacing Luis Suarez while Leonardo Bonucci took over from Gerard Pique.

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