FIFPRO unveils the 26 finalists for the 2026 Women's World 11 with ten Spaniards, seven from Barcelona and no South Americans

FIFPRO, the global players' union, has revealed the 26 finalists for the 2026 Women's World 11, the only global football award decided exclusively by professional players themselves. The list has a clear stamp on it: ten Spaniards, seven Barcelona players and no South Americans at all.

How the vote works and when the XI will be revealed

According to FIFPRO, 6,511 women's footballers from 64 countries voted for their peers based on performances between 4 August 2025 and 16 August 2026. To be eligible, a player had to have appeared in at least 20 official matches in that period. Adding the men's award, 26,317 professionals from 75 countries took part.

The final team is made up of the goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders and three forwards with the most votes, plus the remaining outfield player with the next highest number of votes. FIFPRO will announce it on Monday 9 November at 14:00 CET on its digital platforms.

The 26 finalists

Goalkeepers

• Ann-Katrin Berger (Gotham FC, Germany)
• Cata Coll (Barcelona, Spain)
• Hannah Hampton (Chelsea, England)

Defenders

• Ona Batlle (Barcelona/Arsenal, Spain)
• Lucy Bronze (Chelsea, England)
• Ellie Carpenter (Chelsea, Australia)
• Emily Fox (Arsenal, USA)
• Alex Greenwood (Manchester City, England)
• Mapi León (Barcelona/London City Lionesses, Spain)
• Katie McCabe (Arsenal/Chelsea, Republic of Ireland)
• Irene Paredes (Barcelona, Spain)

Midfielders

• Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona, Spain)
• Ghizlane Chebbak (Al-Hilal/free agent, Morocco)
• Patri Guijarro (Barcelona, Spain)
• Anaele Le Moguedec (Paris FC, France)
• Vicky López (Barcelona, Spain)
• Alexia Putellas (Barcelona/London City Lionesses, Spain)
• Ella Toone (Manchester United, England)

Forwards

• Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride, Zambia)
• Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea, England)
• Athenea del Castillo (Real Madrid, Spain)
• Ada Hegerberg (OL Lyonnes, Norway)
• Chloe Kelly (Arsenal, England)
• Ewa Pajor (Barcelona, Poland)
• Claudia Pina (Barcelona, Spain)
• Alessia Russo (Arsenal, England)

A very European map

Spain contributes ten names and England seven; between them they account for 17 of the 26 candidates. The other nine places go to players from Germany, Australia, the United States, Ireland, France, Morocco, Zambia, Norway and Poland, meaning eleven nationalities in total and only four from outside Europe.

By club, Barcelona is the best represented: the club itself highlighted that seven of its current players (Cata Coll, Irene Paredes, Aitana Bonmatí, Patri Guijarro, Vicky López, Ewa Pajor and Claudia Pina) are on the list, and they are joined by Batlle, León and Putellas, who appear with Barça and their new clubs on FIFPRO's list. Chelsea have five (Hampton, Bronze, Carpenter, Beever-Jones and McCabe, who is listed with Arsenal and Chelsea), and Arsenal also have five in Batlle, Fox, Kelly, Russo and McCabe.

The NWSL has just two representatives, Berger and Banda, and there is no South American or Liga MX Femenil player among the 26. Among the side notes, RTÉ points out that McCabe could become the first Irish footballer, in the men's or women's game, to make the final XI, and Football Australia notes that Carpenter has been shortlisted for a second straight season.

The answer comes next week: on 9 November we will know which eleven players were chosen by their peers.

Sources: FIFPRO, FC Barcelona, RTÉ, Real Madrid, Chelsea News, USA Today / Central Oregon Daily.