The 2025 FIFPRO World XI nominees were announced on Monday and the shortlist left a number of established performers off the list. Several omissions have prompted debate over which players deserved recognition.

Harry Kane was one of the most surprising names absent. He led the Bundesliga in scoring last season, finished with 41 goals in all competitions and won his first major trophy. Kane also finished fifth in the European Golden Boot race behind Kylian Mbappé, Viktor Gyökeres, Mohamed Salah and Robert Lewandowski. The shortlist included two of those names and excluded two, making his omission notable given his scoring numbers.

The exclusion of Gabriel also raised eyebrows. “It’s honestly preference comparing Gabriel and William Saliba, but for many who watched Arsenal closely the Brazilian was arguably the better of the two last season.” The piece highlights Gabriel’s role as a defensive leader who also poses a significant threat from set pieces and notes he is being spoken of as a potential player of the season for the current campaign.

Wojciech Szczęsny was another overlooked name. He returned from retirement midseason to join Barcelona in crisis and made his debut on Jan. 4. By the end of the campaign he had added three more trophies as Barcelona completed a first domestic treble. He subsequently earned a new contract extending his stay through 2027.

Liverpool’s midfield pairing also suffered from the voting. The article points to Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch being left out and argues both had strong claims. Mac Allister missed only three Premier League games last season, contributed 10 goal involvements and was an important part of the title-winning engine room.

Finally, Moisés Caicedo was highlighted as a major snub. Caicedo played every Premier League match last season as Chelsea secured a top-four finish under Enzo Maresca, scored in the UEFA Conference League final and played a major role in Chelsea’s FIFA Club World Cup victory over the summer.

These five absences underline the difficult choices in assembling a World XI and why the 2025 shortlist has drawn criticism.

Jordan Henderson used his post-match briefing after Brentford’s result against Liverpool to offer a measured assessment of his former club and to appeal for patience from their supporters.

Having faced Liverpool for the first time since leaving the club in 2023, Henderson encouraged backing for Arne Slot’s side while acknowledging their recent run of poor results. He stressed his view that quality remains across the Liverpool squad.

“You look all over the pitch, there’s not much to go at, they’re all quality players,” he said. “I don’t really see a weakness in the team.

“I know there’s been results of late that haven’t been great for them but, for me, they’re still top players and a top, top team and it’s a matter of time before they get in a rhythm and get going.

“I think there’s been reasons why they haven’t hit the heights from last season but they’re still a world-class team and wherever you look on the pitch there’s world-class players, so it’s always going to be difficult but I thought the [Brentford] lads dug deep, stuck together and caused some problems on the counter.”

Henderson’s own history with Liverpool framed his comments. His first meeting with Liverpool took place in March 2011 when he was at Sunderland; he moved to Anfield that summer and remained there for 12 years, a period that produced Premier League and Champions League success.

Reflecting on that time, he said: “I had been at Liverpool for so long,” the midfielder reflected. “It’s always deep inside me forever now as it was my life for 12 years.

“It was a little bit strange but as soon as the whistle went, it was business as usual and I was ready to go and I’d be in the right frame of mind, which I was.

“I was fully in and felt as good as I ever have. I was there 12 years, dedicated a lot of my life to it. My kids were born there. It holds a special place in my heart.

“I still want Liverpool to do well—of course not when we’re playing them—but overall. That will never change. The fans have always been amazing. It was nice to see a few of them, I know a few of them left a bit early because of the result. But it was nice to see them again.”

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk issued a stark call for collective responsibility after the Reds fell 3–2 away to Brentford, a result that extended their league losing run to four matches. Van Dijk was one of several players who struggled during the game, with the towering centre back unable to contain Igor Thiago’s physical game and conceding a second‑half penalty which the Brazilian converted.

Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, Van Dijk was blunt. “The fact is that we didn’t keep clean sheets for nine games. It’s easy then to blame a particular person or the back line or set pieces, but it’s a collective thing in the end as well. Everyone has to look in the mirror, including myself.

“That’s what we all do and that’s what we all have discussed as well. I’m sure we will get out of this, but we don’t get out of this just by talking about it ,” Van Dijk stressed.

“We’ll try to improve, that’s what we work on; it’s not that we’re doing nothing in training or nothing behind the scenes. We all want to improve, that’s why we’re on the pitch as well. But it’s tough at the moment.

“We need each other, we need the support, we need the people that were celebrating with us as well last year to be there for us now even more, and then I’m very confident that we will get out of this because we have the quality offensively, defensively.

“But the reality is we are looking for a clean sheet but definitely for a win again. That’s the reality.”

The numbers underline the concern. Liverpool have conceded 21 goals across 14 matches this term, compared with nine at the same stage last season. Over the last four games the defending champions have shipped eight goals. Opponents have adopted a clear long‑ball tactic against Liverpool this season: the Reds have faced 710 long balls, representing 23% of opponent passes, the highest total and ratio in the top flight.

As Arne Slot noted, the one side that did not play long, Eintracht Frankfurt, were beaten in midweek. “It is definitely that teams have a certain playing style against us; it is a very good strategy to play. We have not found an answer yet,” he admitted. “Going 1–0 down does not help after five minutes. We are still, even today, when we don’t play well, able to score two goals.

“But you cannot compete, which we don’t do at the moment, because we concede too many goals. That is not only the defence you do it with 11 players together.”