Will World 11 record-holder Lionel Messi extend his reign?

• The Argentinian is one of 26 finalists in the running for the 2024 FIFPRO Men's World 11
  
  
• The World 11 is the only global football award decided exclusively by the players 
  
  
• The 2024 World 11 will be revealed on Monday 9 December on FIFPRO's digital channels 

If someone wants to review how Lionel Messi's image evolved every year from 2007 onwards, they can do one simple thing: review the photos of all the FIFPRO Men's World 11 awards.

Not only has Messi been in all of them since 2017, but he is the only player on the planet to have won 17 World 11 awards. And he can reach 18 if his fellow professionals believe that what he did in football was transcendent in the period taken into account for the 2024 edition of the team of the year: 21 August 2023 and 14 July 2024.

Three strikers will be chosen for the World 11, with the possibility of a fourth if the eleventh player is also a forward. The rules are clear. The team is made up of the 10 most voted players: one goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders and three strikers. The 11th is the outfield player with the highest number of votes of those who did not make the preset tactical drawing.

Erling Haaland, Vinicius Jr, Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, Cole Palmer, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lamine Yamal are all in the running alongside Messi.

Messi's 2023/24 season

In a season in which, as never before, Messi suffered injuries, without a doubt the stellar achievement was winning the Copa America with Argentina for the second consecutive time. Although in numbers Messi's tournament was not at the level of what he has accustomed the world to – one goal, one assist – Argentina's play revolved around him.

His goal against Canada in the semi-finals put him level with Iran's Ali Daei as the second highest international scorer with 109 goals. Today he has reached 112, although these last three goals are outside the cycle taken into account for this edition of the World 11.

In the South American qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Messi scored three goals in five games and played almost every minute of the historic away win over Brazil, the first time in history that A Seleção lost a qualifier at home.

It was at Inter Miami that Messi's injury problems were most evident: he missed six of the club's 18 games in the first half of the year. He still managed to post a 10+9 combined goals and assists tally, setting the stage for an MLS regular-season lead that ended in October with Inter winning the Supporters' Shield – the trophy awarded to regular-season winners – for the first time.

Messi's individual achievements 2023/24

• Marca America Award (to the player with the most titles in history)
• Olimpia de Oro 2023 (for best Argentinian sportsman of the year)

Post of the Year

Messi in the World 11

Messi's 17 consecutive appearances in the World 11, an all-time record, speaks for itself. He has been honoured since he was chosen for the first time in 2007, aged just 20, in a team that included Ronaldinho, Kaka, Dider Drogba, Fabio Cannavaro and Cristiano Ronaldo. The previous year, 2006, was his first appearance on the list of 55 nominees, although in the end the strikers chosen were Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto'o.

As if to further magnify his omnipresence in the World 11, Messi represents 94.44 percent of Argentinians present in World 11 history, 30.76 percent of Barcelona players selected, 17.64 percent of PSG and 100 percent of Inter Miami players.

If you want to relive Messi's year by year in the World 11, click HERE.

When will the World 11 be announced?

The 2024 FIFPRO Men's World 11 will be officially announced on 9 December at 16:00 CET. It will be made up of the 11 players – out of the 26 on the final list – who receive the most votes in their position.

This year, all winners will be presented with a new trophy that truly captures the collective spirit of the World 11.