© EuroFootball.com
Spaniards dominate the list of 55 footballers from which the symbolic best world team of 2011 will be composed.
In the selection organized by the professional players' union FIFPro, the votes were cast by 50 thousand footballers from various corners of the planet. Each could vote for one goalkeeper, four defenders, three midfielders, and three forwards.
Among the 55 candidates, there are 12 Spaniards, eight Brazilians, and five representatives from both Germany and England.
Interestingly, the most well-represented league is not the arguably most popular English Premier League (18), but the Spanish national championship (22). Italy's Serie A has nine players.
Candidates:
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Italy, "Juventus"), Iker Casillas (Spain, "Real"), Manuel Neuer (Germany, "Bayern"), Victor Valdes (Spain, "Barcelona"), Edwin van der Sar (Netherlands, "Man Utd", retired)
Defenders: Eric Abidal (France, "Barcelona"), Dani Alves (Brazil, "Barcelona"), Ricardo Carvalho (Portugal, "Real"), Ashley Cole (England, "Chelsea"), Vincent Kompany (Belgium, "Man City"), Philipp Lahm (Germany, "Bayern"), Lucio (Brazil, "Inter"), David Luiz (Brazil, "Chelsea"), Maicon (Brazil, "Inter"), Marcelo (Brazil, "Real"), Alessandro Nesta (Italy, "Milan"), Pepe (Portugal, "Real"), Gerard Pique (Spain, "Barcelona"), Carles Puyol (Spain, "Barcelona"), Sergio Ramos (Spain, "Real"), Thiago Silva (Brazil, "Milan"), John Terry (England, "Chelsea"), Nemanja Vidic (Serbia, "Man Utd")
Midfielders: Xabi Alonso (Spain, "Real"), Gareth Bale (Wales, "Tottenham"), Sergio Busquets (Spain, "Barcelona"), Cesc Fabregas (Spain, "Barcelona"), Andres Iniesta (Spain, "Barcelona"), Kaka (Brazil, "Real"), Frank Lampard (England, "Chelsea"), Nani (Portugal, "Man Utd"), Mesut Ozil (Germany, "Real"), Andrea Pirlo (Italy, "Juventus"), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany, "Bayern"), David Silva (Spain, "Man City"), Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands, "Inter"), Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast, "Man City"), Xavi (Spain, "Barcelona")
Forwards: Sergio Aguero (Argentina, "Man City"), Karim Benzema (France, "Real"), Edinson Cavani (Uruguay, "Napoli"), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast, "Chelsea"), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon, "Anzhi"), Radamel Falcao (Colombia, "Atletico"), Mario Gomez (Germany, "Bayern"), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden, "Milan"), Lionel Messi (Argentina, "Barcelona"), Neymar (Brazil, "Santos"), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, "Real"), Wayne Rooney (England, "Man Utd"), Luis Suarez (Uruguay, "Liverpool"), Robin van Persie (Netherlands, "Arsenal"), David Villa (Spain, "Barcelona")
