Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal made history Monday, becoming the youngest player ever selected for FIFPRO’s Men’s World XI. The 18-year-old winger received 10,167 votes, finishing just behind goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who topped the poll with 13,609 votes.
Donnarumma, who recently joined Manchester City from Paris Saint-Germain, earned the recognition from over 20,000 ballots cast by players worldwide. Yamal surpasses Kylian Mbappé, the previous youngest selection at 19, who returns this year alongside Real Madrid teammate Jude Bellingham.
Paris Saint-Germain dominated the list with five players following their first Champions League triumph, including Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé. Fullbacks Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes, midfielder Vitinha, and Donnarumma join Dembélé in representing the French champions.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, Barcelona’s Pedri, and Chelsea’s Cole Palmer also earned places in the elite World XI. The selection celebrates individual brilliance while highlighting a new generation of stars rising across Europe’s top leagues.
FIFPRO has marked two decades of recognising the best, with players voting to create a truly global reflection of talent. The final lineup blends experience with youthful flair, underscoring football’s ongoing evolution and its interwoven stories of triumph. FIFPRO Men’s World XI: Donnarumma, Hakimi, van Dijk, Mendes, Vitinha, Pedri, Bellingham, Palmer, Yamal, Mbappé, Dembélé.
