The nominees for the FIFA 23 Team of the Year have been revealed and, as usual, the shortlist has thrown up several talking points — the biggest of which is regarding Cristiano Ronaldo.
Fans can now vote on who they think should be included in the EA Sports game’s best XI until Jan. 17, with 100 of the top names of world football from which to select their own dream side. The Team of the Year will be announced on Jan. 19, and those selected will gain special FIFA 23 Ultimate Team items and stat boosts in-game.
The full list of the 100 nominees is broken down by position with 30 attackers, 35 midfielders, 25 defenders and 10 goalkeepers for fans to vote on. After looking through this year’s names, here is a roundup of the most notable takeaways.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)
Ronaldo leaves the elite
After enduring the toughest year of his playing career, in which he became a fixture on the benches of both Manchester United and Portugal, Ronaldo has suffered the added ignominy of failing to earn a place among the 30 attacking players nominated.
This marks the first time that Ronaldo, who joined Saudi club Al Nassr late last month after his Manchester United contract was terminated, has missed out on the shortlist since the Team of the Year was introduced to the EA Sports series for FIFA 09. Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos are the only players who made the FIFA 09 TOTY and are still active.
Just to further compound matters, the last time Ronaldo actually made the final cut was FIFA 21. Last year he was ousted from the XI’s front line by Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Robert Lewandowski, although he was later voted the “12th man” along with a separate list of honorary mentions.
