The announcement of the 26-player FifPro Women's World XI shortlist on Monday has provoked widespread discussion after several elite names were notably absent. Considered prestigious as the sole football accolade determined exclusively by fellow professional players, the list nonetheless sparked surprise when five of the Ballon d'Or's top 10 finishers failed to make the cut. Headlining the missing superstars was Manchester City's Khadija Shaw, who finished third in the Ballon d'Or voting, alongside Malawi's Temwa Chawinga, Haiti's Melchie Dumornay, Denmark captain Pernille Harder, and Barcelona forward Caroline Graham Hansen.
Shaw's exclusion has drawn heavy attention following an exceptional campaign in which she was named WSL Player of the Year, scoring 21 goals in 22 matches to help Manchester City secure a league and FA Cup double. In contrast, the selection of England trio Ella Toone, Chloe Kelly, and Aggie Beever-Jones has generated debate after all three initially missed out on the latest Lionesses squad. Beever-Jones netted only seven goals across all competitions for club and country during the qualifying period, while Toone and Kelly dealt with fitness and form issues. Concurrently, in-form Lionesses Lauren Hemp and Lauren James were overlooked, while Lyon's 2018 Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg earned a spot despite not scoring in the Women's Champions League knockout stages during a below-par year.
Controversial voting outcomes are not unprecedented in the history of the award. Last year, Spain and Arsenal midfielder Mariona Caldentey was omitted from the World XI despite finishing as the Ballon d'Or runner-up. Similarly, in 2024, when 7,000 female footballers took part in the poll, four of the top five Ballon d'Or contenders were left off the shortlist, including Graham Hansen. By comparison, five Lionesses secured places on that 2024 list despite failing to claim a major trophy or place a single representative inside the Ballon d'Or top 10.
This year's shortlist was determined by 6,511 female players representing 64 nations via FifPro's digital voting system, evaluating performances between 4 August 2025 and 16 August 2026. Nominees were required to make at least 20 appearances during that designated timeframe to qualify. The definitive World XI—composed of one goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders, three forwards, and the remaining outfield player with the next highest votes—will be revealed on Monday, 9 November at 13:00 GMT.