Bayern Munich mocks Harry Kane's absence from the FIFPro ideal lineup

The exclusion of Englishman Harry Kane, Bayern Munich's forward, from the FIFPro World XI has sparked a wave of controversy, especially since the English star was only awarded the Ballon d'Or for the best player in the world for 2026 just two weeks ago.

Around 20,000 professional players participated in the voting process for the Team of the Year, but Harry Kane finished fifth in the rankings for forwards, behind Frenchman Kylian Mbappé, Spaniard Lamine Yamal, Argentine Lionel Messi, and Norwegian Erling Haaland.

Following the announcement of the lineup, Bayern Munich's official account posted on X a picture featuring Harry Kane's key statistics for the current season, accompanied by a brief caption stating: "Literally, the best in the world."

Although the German club did not directly refer to the FIFA Pro selections, the timing of the image's publication has raised numerous interpretations. Observers believe that the post carries a sarcastic message regarding the ideal lineup, which did not include the name of the Bayern Munich forward despite his Ballon d'Or win.

The FIFPro World XI includes four forwards: Yamal, Messi, Mbappé, and Haaland, along with three midfielders, three defenders, and one goalkeeper.

The ideal lineup of the year according to the choices of 'FIFPro' is as follows:

Goalkeeping: Spanish David Raya (Arsenal).

Defence: Moroccan Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain), Spanish Pau Cubarsí (FC Barcelona), Portuguese Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain).

Midfield: Spanish Rodri (FC Barcelona), Portuguese Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain), English Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid).

The attacking line features Spanish Lamine Yamal (FC Barcelona), Argentine Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), French Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid), and Norwegian Erling Haaland (Manchester City).