Fifa World XI

[SilentWitness]

They're releasing shortlists for each category every few days.

Goalkeepers and defenders are already out.

Goalkeepers

Gianluigi Buffon (Italy, Juventus); Iker Casillas (Spain, Real Madrid); Petr Cech (Czech Republic, Chelsea); Joe Hart (England, Manchester City); Manuel Neuer (Germany, Bayern Munich).

Defenders

Jordi Alba (Spain, Barcelona); Gareth Bale (Wales, Tottenham Hotspur); Giorgio Chiellini (Italy, Juventus); Ashley Cole (England, Chelsea); Dani Alves (Brazil, Barcelona); David Luiz (Brazil, Chelsea); Patrice Evra (France, Manchester United); Rio Ferdinand (England, Manchester United); Mats Hummels (Germany, Borussia Dortmund); Branislav Ivanovic (Serbia, Chelsea); Vincent Kompany (Belgium, Manchester City); Philipp Lahm (Germany, Bayern Munich), Marcelo (Brazil, Real Madrid); Javier Mascherano (Argentina, Barcelona); Pepe (Portugal, Real Madrid); Gerard Piqué (Spain, Barcelona); Carles Puyol (Spain, Barcelona); Sergio Ramos (Spain, Real Madrid); John Terry (England, Chelsea); Thiago Silva (Brazil, Paris St-Germain).

Midfielders

Xabi Alonso (Spain / Real Madrid), Sergio Busquets (Spain / FC Barcelona), Cesc Fabregas (Spain / FC Barcelona), Steven Gerrard (England / Liverpool), Eden Hazard (Belgium / Chelsea), Andres Iniesta (Spain / FC Barcelona), Frank Lampard (England / Chelsea), Luka Modric (Croatia / Real Madrid), Mesut Özil (Germany / Real Madrid), Andrea Pirlo (Italy / Juventus), Franck Ribery (France / Bayern Munich), David Silva (Spain / Manchester City), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany / Bayern Munich), Yaya Touré (Ivory Coast / Manchester City), Xavi Hernandez (Spain / FC Barcelona)

Attackers

Sergio Aguero (Argentina, Manchester City); Mario Balotelli (Italy, Manchester City); Karim Benzema (France, Real Madrid); Edinson Cavani (Uruguay, Napoli); Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Real Madrid); Didier Drogba (Côte d'Ivoire, Shanghai Shenua); Samuel Etoo (Cameroon, Anzhi Makhachkala); Falcao (Colombia, Atletico Madrid); Mario Gomez (Germany, Bayern Munich); Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden, Paris St-Germain); Lionel Messi (Argentina, Barcelona); Neymar (Brazil, Santos); Wayne Rooney (England, Manchester United); Luis Suarez (Uruguay, Liverpool); Robin van Persie (Netherlands, Manchester United).

I'll update the OP as all the shortlists are out but it should be fun to make up our own and discuss some bizarre selections.

Luiz being there is retarded no matter if they did win the CL or not.

 

[Solius]

As I mentioned in the other thread. Gareth fecking Bale?

 

[Fergus' son]

Buffon
Lahm Pepe Kompany Cole

 

[Theon]

Bale a defender

Pretty sure Terry has been selected every year they have done it.

 

[Ballache]

Bale is a defender?

 

[Baxter]

As I mentioned in the other thread. Gareth fecking Bale?

...... As a defender?

Buffon

Lahm Chiellini Hummels Alba

 

[ha_rooney]

Luiz, Evra, Puyol & Terry should not be there. Also, Bale is not a defender.

 

[Revan]

Why don't FIFA start watching a little football before they make such lists.

Gareth Bale hasn't played in defence for years.

David Luiz is the worst center defender I have ever seen in a big club.

 

[Levo]

Casillas, Alba, Hummels, Kompany, Lahm

 

[SilentWitness]

Aye, playing the predictor is difficult as i know what team i'd like but i can tell Pique or Ramos will be on it even though i don't want to pick them.

Buffon

Lahm-Chiellini-Hummels-Alba

 

[Theon]

Pique should be nowhere near it. Not a big fan of Ramos but winning the league with Madrid and the Euros with Spain might make it hard to leave him out. Kompany should be there, he was incredible last season.

 

[peterstorey]

Half those defenders breach the trade descriptions act.

 

[Revan]

Aye, playing the predictor is difficult as i know what team i'd like but i can tell Pique or Ramos will be on it even though i don't want to pick them.

Buffon

Lahm-Chiellini-Hummels-Alba

Chiellini is by far the worst of Juventus first team center defenders. Barzagli and Bonucci have been much better than him.

Anyway I would have go with something like:

Casillas

Lahm Thiago Kompany Alba

 

[JakeC]

>2012
>Bale being a defender
>Pick one

 

[Nick 0208 Ldn]

Evra is on that list due to him playing for United and reputation bases on past form more than anything current unfortunately.

 

[SilentWitness]

Chiellini is by far the worst of Juventus first team center defenders. Barzagli and Bonucci have been much better than him.

Anyway I would have go with something like:

Casillas

Lahm Thiago Kompany Alba

I like him and i think he has a better chance of being in it than Kompany. I think Kompany not playing in the Euros will go against him.

 

[Baxter]

Chiellini is by far the worst of Juventus first team center defenders. Barzagli and Bonucci have been much better than him.

Anyway I would have go with something like:

Casillas

Lahm Thiago Kompany Alba

Disagree. Could have a case for Barzagli, but not Bonucci. Think Chiellini gets a bit of a raw deal because he's a thug.

 

[JakeC]

Evra is on that list due to him playing for United and reputation bases on past form more than anything current unfortunately.

Like most of the players there.

 

[Solius]

They're nearly all there based on old reputations. Luiz is there on a reputation he doesn't even have.

 

[Nick 0208 Ldn]

Hasn't Puyol spent much of 2012 out injured?

 

[kouroux]

It is stupid how some players make those lists by default, fecking Puyol ?

 

[Skorenzy]

Giorgio Chiellini, Jordi Alba and Sergio Ramos have all had a brilliant season and a half, for both club and country. Kompany has dropped off remarkably compared to last season, but still... Maybe him or Hummels for the 4th spot. Keeper, either Casillas or Buffon. Cech was great in the CL, but nothing special in the league or for the Czech NT.

 

[Heardy]

-----------Casillas-----------

Alba--Hummels--Kompany--Lahm​

 

[Nick 0208 Ldn]

Who is actually responsible for the names on the shortlist? Journalists? Fellow players?

 

[Lynk]

>2012
>Bale being a defender
>Pick one

>greentexting "pick one"


lel.

 

[Vato]

Casillas

Alves - Kompany - Silva - Marcelo​

 

[Mr Anderson]

How the hell is David Luiz even shortlisted?

 

[Snow]

Kompany has been so poor this season that he doesn't deserve to be chosen. Not if this is chosen by calendar year. Not seen a single good performance from him. Evident by them keeping 4 clean sheets in 19 games despite often playing with 5 at the back and/or 2 defensive midfielders much of the time.
Shortlisted sure but he shouldn't make the final cut.

Casillas
Ivanovic - Thiago Silva - Hummels - Marcelo

 

[Joemo]

Buffon, Ramos, Hummels, Kompany, Cole

 

[KingEric7]

How on earth is David Luiz in there? Have these people ever watched football before?

Pique, Puyol, Terry...these are all completely retarded inclusions that you generally become accustomed to in such lists, but having Luiz is another level of spackery altogether.

 

[Cheesy]

Even though some choices like Terry, Evra etc are all terrible, you can see that they're there on reputation at least. There's some form of excuse, even if it is terrible. Luiz though? It's just...

 

[Varun]

Such a stupid list

Dont FIFA atleast have someone who watches matches?

 

[Cina]

Surprised so few are selecting Ramos. He has been excellent this year.

 

[WR]

There's probably about 10 suitable candidates and the rest are there on reputation/hype to make up the numbers.

 

[Rooney in Paris]

Surprised so few are selecting Ramos. He has been excellent this year.

This. I had very strong reservations about him playing as a CB but he has been really brilliant in that position this year, both for club and country. I'd actually definitely pick him as one of my 2 CBs, and I'd hesitate between Pepe and Kompany for the other. At his best, Kompany is the better of the two I think, but he's had a dip in form this season (I think the award is for the calendar year) and Pepe was very good at the Euros as well.

 

[Gio]

What's the odds on Kaka reclaiming his customary spot?

 

[Cold_Boy]

These lists are mostly jokes.

 

[Cutch]

From what I've seen this year, Hummels has been the best defender

 

[Levo]

-----------Casillas-----------

Alba--Hummels--Kompany--Lahm​

At least be original

 

[Vato]

Surprised so few are selecting Ramos. He has been excellent this year.

I was going to but didn't want to come over as a biased cnut.