Alexia Putellas, Aitana Bonmatí, Alessia Russo and Ella Toone were among those named in the FIFPRO Women’s World 11, in a controversial player voted XI.
Ballon d’Or winner Putellas earned her place after a quadruple-winning season with Barcelona. However, she received a lower percentage of votes (44.9%) than teammate Bonmatí (47.4%) for midfielders, despite the latter having limited minutes following an injury.
Bonmatí made just seven Liga F appearances and started only one of her three Champions League outings.
England internationals Russo, Hannah Hampton and Alex Greenwood also made the XI, with Hampton earning recognition despite losing the Ballon d’Or Yashin Trophy to Cata Coll.
Manchester City, meanwhile, had just one representative, despite winning their first domestic league title in a decade. Lucy Bronze also made history, receiving her ninth nomination to set a new record.
Ewa Pajor, who finished second in the Ballon d’Or race, topped the table as the Champions League top scorer with 11 goals and won a quadruple with Barcelona, did not make the cut. She received only 10.5% of the votes for forwards, with Russo having over double with 23.5%.
Controversy had already surrounded the shortlist, which was voted on by 6,511 players across the women’s professional game.
Manchester City striker Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw, despite winning the league title and claiming the Golden Boot for a third consecutive season, was omitted from the shortlist. Melchie Dumornay, Pernille Harder and Caroline Graham Hansen were all absent, despite each finishing in the top 10 of the Ballon d’Or rankings.
Meanwhile, England internationals Chloe Kelly, Aggie Beever-Jones and Toone made the shortlist despite injuries and limited playing time. Toone went on to secure a place in the final XI, despite Manchester United finishing fourth in the league. She made just 14 league appearances, scoring three goals, and received 10.9% of the midfielder votes — the third-highest total behind Bonmatí and Putellas.
Barcelona dominated the selection with five representatives, including Irene Paredes, Clàudia Pina and Mapi León, who has since joined London City Lionesses.
The timeline spanned August 2025 to August 2026, considering Putellas and Leon’s final season with the European Champions.
The geographical spread of the XI was also striking. NWSL star Barbra Banda was the only player from outside the WSL or Liga F to make the team, and was the only non-English or Spanish player to make the final World 11.
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