Lamine Yamal has become the first player to earn two FIFPRO World 11 selections before turning 20, with the Barcelona forward named in the 2026 men’s team announced on Monday.
The Spain international retained his place after also featuring in last year’s selection. Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi was included alongside him in a team chosen by fellow professional footballers.
Yamal makes World 11 history
FIFPRO confirmed the milestone when it unveiled the men’s and women’s teams on 9 November. A total of 26,317 professional footballers from 75 countries voted across the two awards.
Yamal was one of four forwards selected for the men’s team, alongside Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi. Messi returned for the first time since 2023 and extended his own record to 18 appearances.
The Barcelona pair were also among four Spain players in the men’s selection, with David Raya and Rodri completing that group. FIFPRO said their inclusion took Spain’s total number of men’s World 11 appearances to 53.
What period did the vote cover?
The men’s award assessed performances between 4 August 2025 and 19 July 2026, inclusive. Players needed at least 30 official appearances during that period to be eligible.
Each voter chose three players in each position: goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and forward. The leading goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders and three forwards took ten places. The remaining outfield player with the most votes received the final spot.
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What stands out most about the 2026 World 11?
Archive: Lamine Yamal during Argentina v Spain on 19 July 2026. Photo: Bryan Berlin, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and corner branding added. The adapted photograph is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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