World team of the year revealed!
A leaked photo has revealed the FIFA Team of the Year before the official announcement at tonight’s Ballon d’Or ceremony.
The team appeared in the background of this image, which has been doing the rounds on social networking site twitter:
Leaked photo spreading on Twitter reveals FIFA World XI for 2013. (always better waiting to make sure) pic.twitter.com/zI3FuyCGti
— Seleção Brasileira (@BrazilStats) January 13, 2014
The line up is full of familiar faces, with six players from either Barcelona or Real Madrid, three from Bayern Munich and two from PSG selected from the 55-man shortlist.
There is no place for all-conquering Bayern captain Bastian Schweinsteiger or world-record Real signing Gareth Bale and there were no players from the Premier League or Serie A selected.
Predictably, the three Ballon d’Or finalists Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Franck Ribery made the XI, while the biggest surprise saw 33-year-old Xavi again take his place in the team, despite a year which has seen the playmaker decline in importance for Barcelona.
Six players retained their places in the team from last year:
Last year’s World XI was: Casillas; Alves, Pique, Ramos, Marcelo; Iniesta, Alonso, Xavi; Ronaldo, Messi, Falcao.
— Paul Hayward (@_PaulHayward) January 13, 2014
FIFA World Team of the Year:
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