Four Real Madrid-linked players among FIFPRO World11 finalists

Four players linked with Real Madrid are competing for a place in the 2026 FIFPRO World11, the world team selected by footballers themselves. Thibaut Courtois, Marc Cucurella, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé are among the 26 finalists, and Real Madrid hopes to have a significant presence in the team of the year. The final selection will determine which of the shortlisted candidates make the team chosen by professional players.

The vote brought together 19,806 players from 73 countries. Selection by fellow professionals gives the award particular significance: the finalists are not chosen by an outside jury, but by people working in football. The four candidates linked with Real Madrid span the different areas of the pitch, with Courtois in goal, Cucurella in defence, Bellingham in midfield and Mbappé in attack.

For Courtois, the nomination offers the chance to return among the recognised goalkeepers. He will compete, among others, with Emiliano Martínez and David Raya. In defence, Cucurella faces a field that includes Virgil van Dijk, Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães. Those names underline the level of competition facing the finalists in each position.

The midfield contest is no less demanding for Bellingham, whose candidacy sits alongside those of Pedri, Rodri, Vitinha, Declan Rice, Bruno Fernandes and Enzo Fernández. Mbappé, meanwhile, features in an attacking group that also includes Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lamine Yamal. The shortlists therefore bring together leading players across the positions being considered.

All four are listed among the 26 candidates for the 2026 team of the year awarded by FIFPRO World11. The remaining question is how many will make the final lineup, which aims to bring together the year’s most outstanding players. The professionals’ selection will determine how many of the candidates linked with Real Madrid secure a place.