Khadija Shaw, Temwa Chawinga, Melchie Dumornay, Caroline Graham Hansen and Pernille Harder are among the notable players left off the FIFPRO Women’s World XI shortlist, prompting questions over this year’s selections. Five of the top 10 finishers in the Ballon d’Or were not included in the 26-player list.

Shaw, Manchester City’s leading scorer and the Women’s Super League Player of the Year, finished third in the Ballon d’Or. She scored 21 goals in 22 games as City won the league and FA Cup double. England players Ella Toone, Chloe Kelly and Aggie Beever-Jones are among the surprise inclusions, while their team-mates Lauren Hemp and Lauren James missed out.

The shortlist was selected by 6,511 women’s footballers from 64 countries through an online vote with FIFPRO. Players were judged on their performances from 4 August 2025 to 16 August 2026 and needed to have played at least 20 times during that period to be eligible.

The final World XI will be announced on 9 November at 13:00 GMT. It will include one goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders and three forwards who received the most votes in their positions, plus the outfield player with the next-highest vote total. Votes for players nominated in more than one position are combined.

The shortlist has also drawn attention to the inclusion of Beever-Jones, who scored seven goals for club and country during the voting period, and Toone and Kelly, who both had spells of poor form and fitness, according to the report. Ada Hegerberg, the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner, is included despite a below-par season by her standards.

FIFPRO shortlists have prompted debate in previous years, too. In 2024, four of the Ballon d’Or’s top five were omitted, including Graham Hansen. Last year, Mariona Caldentey missed out despite finishing second in the Ballon d’Or.

The shortlist includes goalkeepers Ann-Katrin Berger, Catalina Coll and Hannah Hampton. The defenders are Ona Batlle, Lucy Bronze, Ellie Carpenter, Emily Fox, Alex Greenwood, Mapi Leon, Katie McCabe and Irene Paredes. Midfield nominees are Aitana Bonmati, Ghizlane Chebbak, Patri Guijarro, Anaele Le Moguedec, Vicky Lopez, Alexia Putellas and Toone. The forwards are Barbra Banda, Beever-Jones, Athenea del Castillo, Hegerberg, Kelly, Ewa Pajor, Claudia Pina and Alessia Russo.

Sources: BBC Sport.