Four Reds in contention for the FIFPro World 11
Manchester United’s David De Gea, Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku are in contention to be named in the FIFA FIFPro World 11 later this month.
FIFPro is the worldwide players’ union and, each year, it invites members to pick a team of one goalkeeper, four defenders, three midfielders and three attackers who starred in their position during the 2017/18 season.
And our quartet are among are among the 55 footballers who received the most votes, with 25,000 of their peers from 65 countries having selected their eleven.
Here's all 5⃣5⃣ faces, selected by professional players from across the globe!
— FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) September 10, 2018
Which would you choose for your 4-3-3? 🤔
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(📸 @FIFPro @World11) #TheBest #FIFAFootballAwards pic.twitter.com/k53ep1HP4O
De Gea enjoyed another excellent season in goal for United, keeping 18 clean sheets to secure the Premier League Golden Glove and a fourth Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award in five seasons. One of five goalkeepers on the longlist, David has also firmly established himself as Spain’s number one.
Matic is a mainstay for Serbia and slotted effortlessly into Jose Mourinho’s side in 2017/18, following his arrival from Chelsea, to enhance his reputation as one of the best holding midfielders in the world. He even picked up our Goal of the Season award for his long-range winner at Crystal Palace.
The 30-year-old posted on Instagram: "I'm very proud and happy to be nominated for the best midfielder in the world."
Pogba continued to demonstrate why he’s regarded so highly in the world game, with his undoubted highlight being that influential two-goal display during April’s 3-2 comeback win over Manchester City. Of course, the 25-year-old midfielder’s campaign culminated in World Cup glory and, indeed, he’s one of seven members of France’s victorious team on the list.
Lukaku’s maiden campaign in Red was nothing short of spectacular, as the powerful striker plundered 27 goals and made 51 appearances in total, more than anyone else in Mourinho’s squad. He’s prolific on the international stage, too: at the age of 25, he’s already Belgium’s all-time top scorer with 41 goals, four of which came in his country’s run to the World Cup semi-finals.
Big congrats to @D_DeGea, @NemanjaMatic, @PaulPogba and @RomeluLukaku9, who have all been nominated for the @FIFPro #World11! 👏👏 #MUFC pic.twitter.com/Ih3nmq4zyl
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 10, 2018
The World 11 will be unveiled by FIFA and FIFPro during the Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony in London on Monday 24 September, with our four bidding to join Cristiano Ronaldo, Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic and Wayne Rooney on the list of United players to have made it into the prestigious eleven since its inception in 2004/05.
Read the full list of the 55 most-voted players on fifpro.org.