FIFPro Best XI: Messi, Haaland and Bellingham named in top team of 2023

Tom Weber

• Updated: 15 Jan 2024 20:51 GMT
• 3 min read

The FIFPro Best XI has been unveiled at FIFA's The Best Award, honouring the best players of the calendar year 2023.

2023 was the year in which Pep Guardiola's Manchester City finally overcame their Champions League hoodoo, winning Europe's grandest prize on their way to doing a historic double.

Naturally, Guardiola was named the Coach of the Year and his star performers featured heavily in the FIFPRO Best XI, with a whopping six City players making the cut.

Defenders John Stones, Ruben Dias and Kyle Walker, midfielders Kevin de Bruyne and Bernardo Silva and finally goal machine Erling Haaland were all included in the best team of 2023, with Spanish midfielder Rodri surprisingly missing out.

Messi, Mbappe, Bellingham

The other inclusions in the FIFPro Best XI are no less illustrious, of course, with 2022 Player of the Year and 2023 Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi getting into the team.

Real Madrid stars Jude Bellingham, 2023's Golden Boy winner, Vinicius Jr and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois were also rewarded with a place in the side, despite the latter not featuring in the second half of the year due to an ACL injury.

Finally, PSG megastar Kylian Mbappe also made the team, having finished third in the Ballon d'Or ranking just a few weeks before.

The FIFA FIFPro Men's World XI for 2023 is as follows.

GK: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)

DEF: Kyle Walker (Man City)

DEF: John Stones (Man City)

DEF: Ruben Dias (Man City)

MID: Bernardo Silva (Man City)

MID: Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund/Real Madrid)

MID: Kevin de Bruyne (Man City)

FOR: Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)

FOR: Lionel Messi (PSG/Inter Miami)

FOR: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)

FOR: Erling Haaland (Man City)

FIFA FifPro Women’s World XI

The Women's Best XI was dominated by English players - despite the country failing to win the World Cup - with a whopping seven players getting the nod. Mary Earps, Lucy Bronze, Alex Greenwood, Ella Toone, Keira Walsh, Lauren James and Alessia Russo were honoured.

The rest of the Team of the Year was made up of World Cup winners Aitana Bonmati and Olga Carmona, Chelsea superstar Sam Kerr and USWNT legend Alex Morgan.

The FIFA FIFPro Women's World XI for 2023 is as follows.

GK: Mary Earps (Man Utd)

DEF: Olga Carmona (Real Madrid)

DEF: Lucy Bronze (Barcelona)

DEF: Alex Greenwood (Man City)

MID: Keira Walsh (Barcelona)

MID: Alessia Russo (Man Utd/Arsenal)

MID: Lauren James (Chelsea)

MID: Ella Toone (Man Utd)

FOR: Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona)

FOR: Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave)

FOR: Sam Kerr (Chelsea)