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Vardy in frame for World XI
- Updated: December 1, 2016
Jamie Vardy is the only Englishman named among the 55 nominees for FIFPro’s 2016 World XI award.
The 29-year-old scored 24 times during Leicester’s Premier League triumph last season, but has found the net on four occasions for club and country this campaign.
Manchester United and England captain Wayne Rooney misses out on the shortlist for the first time in the competition’s 12-year history.
That leaves Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo as the only ever-presents for an award based on votes from professional players from 75 countries.
More than 25,000 players have voted this year, with 1,800 selections coming from English-based players, the largest group by nation.
Joining Vardy among the finalists is his former Leicester team-mate N’Golo Kante, now starring for Chelsea, but there is no place for the Premier League champions’ other stand-out performer, Riyad Mahrez.
In total, there are 16 Premier League players on the list, including first-timers Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin, Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City and West Ham playmaker Dimitri Payet.
Barcelona lead the way with 12 players, two more than rivals Real Madrid, whose selected players include Wales forward Gareth Bale.
Other big names to drop out of the reckoning with Rooney this year are …
