FIFPRO’s final team includes Messi but not Ronaldo. Our ledger separates goals scored after the award’s performance window.
Our take: Since the performance window closed, our ledger records 18 Messi goals and 8 Ronaldo goals. Those later goals count towards the Race to 1,000 but fall outside the period behind this selection. Follow the current Race to 1,000 →Explore the calendar-year goal records →Analysis uses records reviewed .
Official final team · voting period and counting scope checked
Editorial illustration · messivsronaldo.info
FIFPRO has named Lionel Messi in its Men’s World 11, confirming his return to the player-voted team. Cristiano Ronaldo is absent from the published final lineup. Both had appeared on the shortlist announced earlier this month; the final selection is a separate development.
Messi joins Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal among the selected forwards. FIFPRO says professional footballers made the selection through its digital ballot. Its stated men’s performance window ran from 4 August 2025 to 19 July 2026 inclusive, rather than covering the whole current calendar year.
This is an individual honour. We keep it separate from the site’s senior team-honours inventory and annual Ballon d’Or comparison. The organiser’s final list settles who was selected, while our dated goal ledger answers the different question of how the players’ scoring records have moved since that performance period ended.
Sources & checks
FIFPRO · official Men’s World 11 ↗ The complete final lineup includes Messi and omits Ronaldo. Its stated performance period ends on 19 July 2026. The page is dated 9 November; no exact publication time is supplied. No vote total or historical selection count is imported into our own statistical records. · Checked 9 Nov 2026, 18:00 GMT
FIFPRO · winners announcement ↗ The organiser’s combined announcement corroborates Messi’s return to the final team. It is dated 9 November without a precise publication time. This is an individual selection, not a senior team title. · Checked 9 Nov 2026, 18:00 GMT
Major League Soccer · selection report ↗ The league report corroborates the published selection. Its MLS assists and international appearance aggregates use source-specific definitions and are not adopted as our archive totals. Embedded social posts and videos were not independently read or watched. · Source published 9 Nov 2026, 16:30 GMT · Checked 9 Nov 2026, 18:00 GMT
MLS confirms Messi’s 2026 Golden Boot with 26 regular-season goals. Our analysis separates the league award from his wider goal totals.
Our take: Our 2026 ledger separates Messi’s 26 MLS goals from 30 for Miami in all competitions and 41 for club and country. That makes the Golden Boot a regular-season comparison, while the wider totals remain available in our year tracker. Compare the 2026 goal totals →Explore the competition definitions →Analysis uses records reviewed .
Miami drew 3–3 with Charlotte without a Messi goal. The club confirms Columbus next in the play-offs, with exact match dates still pending.
Our take: Our ledger keeps Messi on 937, 63 short of 1,000 and 48 behind Ronaldo’s 985. Any goals in the play-off series will count towards that career race, while the regular-season tally stays separate. Follow the Race to 1,000 →Check the statistical coverage →Analysis uses records reviewed .
FIFPRO’s final team includes Messi but not Ronaldo. Our ledger separates goals scored after the award’s performance window.
Our take: Since the performance window closed, our ledger records 18 Messi goals and 8 Ronaldo goals. Those later goals count towards the Race to 1,000 but fall outside the period behind this selection. Follow the current Race to 1,000 →Explore the calendar-year goal records →Analysis uses records reviewed .
Official final team · voting period and counting scope checked
Ronaldo’s league return set for Al Ahli on 20 November
SPL confirms Al Nassr’s rearranged league dates, starting at Al Ahli on 20 November. Our opponent record separates league and cup goals.
Our take: Our ledger records five Ronaldo goals against Al Ahli: four in the league and one in the Saudi Super Cup. The opponent page keeps those competitions separate, so five is not his league-only record. Explore the Al Ahli opponent record →Compare the Saudi league goal records →Analysis uses records reviewed .
Official revised schedule · Saudi and London times checked
