FIFA Team Of The Year

Alban Kokonozi and Ryan Barhorst

The FIFA Team of The Year is the best eleven performing players put into a team with a 4-3-3 formation during that year. Every year FIFA announces their Team of The Year early January of the new year. This year they have already announced their 2019 team.

Goalkeeper of the year is Allison Becker. He plays for Liverpool and represents his nation of Brazil. He has over 50 matches played and has over 30 clean sheets. Becker has also won the Champions League, Super Cup, and won individual awards such as The Best FIFA goalkeeper, Premier League Golden Glove, and Yashine Trophy.

The first defender that plays on the left is Scottish international Andrew Robertson. He plays for Liverpool and has excelled after arriving from a relegated Hull City Team in 2018. Robertson is a creative minded player and loves to move up and swing balls into the box: he has 11 assists and has completed over 2400 passes.

On the other side is Trent Alexander-Arnold who has completely adapted to the Premier League after a rare start a few seasons ago and has impressed his coach Jurgen Klopp. Trent is without a doubt the best right defender in the world: he is creative and an excellent passer, crosser, and free kick specialist. He assisted 12 goals in the Premier League.

The final defenders are the Dutch duo Virgil Van Dijk and Matthijs de Ligt. They are the best center backs in the world. Virgil Van Dijk (the runner-up of the 2019 Ballon D’or) has made his name known on how strong and fast he is in defense and he is also great in the air from set pieces. He captains his country Netherlands and wears the number 4 for both his nation and his club Liverpool. De Ligt, the 20 year old Dutch international, was sensational this year. He played and captained his team Ajax to a semi final at the age of 19. He was highly profiled that he got himself to Juventus where he plays with Ronaldo, Dybala, and Matuidi.

Next are the Midfielders which were N’Golo Kante, Kevin De Bruyne, and Frankie De jong. First is N’golo Kante because he is short, fast, and one of the most physical players in the world. He is number 7 for Chelsea with which he has won a premier league title and won the World Cup in 2018 with France. N’golo Kante played for FC Caen in France and got himself a move to Leicester City in 2016. He helped his team to their first ever league title. After, he signed for Chelsea and his career has gone on to much bigger things.

Frankie De Jong is a player who rose from the scene. He has played a few seasons with Ajax. He carried them to an impressive Semi-Final and made himself a top quality player in the span of 9 months. During this success story of his team, he got an offer he couldn’t turn down by the Spanish giants FC Barcelona.

Finally, the last midfielder is Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgium international plays the role as a Center Attacking Midfielder. He started his professional career in Belgium, but found himself in the Premier League with Chelsea FC. After, Chelsea didn’t see any talent (and point of keeping him) so they sold him to the German side Wolfsburg. He played behind Forward Bas Dost and played an important role in their 2nd place finish in the 14/15 season. After playing very well, Manchester City snatched him up for over $80 million and brought him back to the premier league. Since coming back, he has become the best passer and crosser in the sport and has made his name known this year. He won the Premier League title twice and landed 3rd place in the 2018 World Cup.

Now the most exciting part of the team (and what most people wait to see) are the forwards. The forwards are some of the most important players due to the scoring and their pace can lead a club to success. Starting on the Left Wing is Sadio Mane. He is a Senegalese player who plays for Liverpool FC and is the most important player on his team. He has scored many goals and frequently assists his teammates. He is Senegal’s and Liverpool’s best player. Mane wears the number 10 for both teams and he was also voted by Messi as the best player of the Year.

The Center Forward who is considered the best player/young player of the year is Kylian Mbappe Lottin. He’s a French international player who plays for Paris Saint Germain in France. He is known for his pace, skills, and the amount of talent he has. In the span of 3 years he has made himself one of the best players in the world. He has won Ligue un 3 times in a row and also won the 2018 World Cup with France. 

Finally, The man with 6 Ballon D’ors and the best player of all time Lionel Messi. Argentina’s greatest player of all time has made himself on the team of the year for 15 years in a row. He has scored over 35 goals a season and has tons of assists due to his important role at Barcelona and Argentina. He is the captain for both teams, but also wears number 10. He is the most well known athlete in the world next to Lebron James and Cristiano Ronaldo.