Fifa world XI: Antoine Griezmann has been best player says Diego Simeone

Sep 11, 2018

A total of 55 players are on shortlist for 2018 team

Michael Steele/Getty Images

Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann holds aloft the Europa League trophy

Antoine Griezmann may have missed out on making the final shortlist for the Best Fifa Men’s Player Award but his club manager believes the French forward is the world’s No. 1 footballer of the past 12 months.

Griezmann has won the Europa League and Uefa Super Cup, and finished second in La Liga, with Atletico Madrid. He also won the biggest prize of all, the Fifa World Cup, with the French national team this summer.

So Atletico boss Diego Simeone was disappointed not to see Griezmann’s name on the best player shortlist. Simeone told Spanish radio station Cope: “Griezmann is world champion, European Super Cup champion and Europa League champion.

“He has finished second in the Spanish League, where we play Real Madrid and Barcelona, who between them are continually winning the Champions League, and he was the best player in the World Cup final.

“Griezmann in this last year was the best in the world. It’s a shame that he’s not among the finalist [for the Best Fifa award]. The truth is that I feel sorry for the boy, it makes you feel a little disappointed.”

However, Griezmann is on the 55-player shortlist for the Fifa FIFPro world XI. The forward is one seven French World Cup winners on the list - featuring alongside N’Golo Kante, Kylian Mbappe, Benjamin Pavard, Paul Pogba, Samuel Umtiti and Raphael Varane.

Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah, Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric are on the final three-man shortlist for The Best Fifa Men’s Player award. The winner will be announced at the Best Fifa Football Awards, on 24 September in London.

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(%uD83D%uDCF8 @FIFPro @World11) #TheBest #FIFAFootballAwards pic.twitter.com/k53ep1HP4O
— FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) September 10, 2018

World XI: who is on the shortlist?

A total of 55 players have been selected for the Fifa FIFPro world XI. The final team will be revealed at the Best Fifa Football Awards.

According to Fifa, the world XI votes are based on the players’ performances between 3 July 2017 and 15 July 2018.

FIFPro, the worldwide players’ union, said that 25,000 footballers in 65 countries selected their XI. The players who received the most votes are on the list of 55.