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40 players have been nominated, with fans asked to pick their team in their preferred formation from four goalkeepers, 12 defenders, 12 midfielders and 12 forwards. Players from 20 clubs figure on the shortlist with 18 nationalities represented. In all, 15 of the 40 hopefuls are nominated for the first time.
Voting is open for the UEFA.com users’ Team of the Year 2016 poll, with 15 first-time nominees vying for selection alongside regulars including Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimović.
In all, 40 players have been nominated for the 16th edition of the annual vote, with users asked to pick their team in their preferred formation from four goalkeepers, 12 defenders, 12 midfielders and 12 forwards.
The nominees were chosen by UEFA editorial staff on the basis of their performances for a European club or national team in 2016. Voting on en.toty.uefa.com runs until Tuesday, January 3, with the final line-up to be announced on Thursday, January 5 on UEFA.com.
UEFA Champions League winners Real Madrid provide eight UEFA.com Team of the Year nominees including current UEFA Best Player in Europe Cristiano Ronaldo, nominated for a record 13th time. UEFA Champions League runners-up Atlético de Madrid and FC Barcelona have five each. Some 20 clubs figure on the shortlist (including cases where players have represented two in 2016), from six different leagues, with 18 nationalities represented. In all, 15 of the 40 hopefuls are nominated for the first time.
While Ronaldo became the first player to be selected ten times last year, Lionel Messi topped the polling with 448,445 individual votes. Last year’s youngest nominee and one of seven of the 2015 XI nominated again, Paul Pogba, subsequently handed a €100,000 cheque on behalf of UEFA to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The UEFA.com users’ Team of the Year donation supports ICRC’s rehabilitation programme for landmine victims in Afghanistan. By providing artificial limbs and physical rehabilitation services the ICRC helps thousands of people to regain their mobility, reintegrate into their communities, and play the game that they love – football. Being part of a football team helps people to meet others who experience similar daily struggles and find strength within themselves. It is also helping people to regain their sense of self belief. UEFA’s partnership with the ICRC dates back to 1997, when the European football’s governing body pledged its support for the ICRC’s anti-landmine campaign.
The UEFA.com Team of the Year is not intended to rival more established awards and does not bear the official UEFA imprimatur. However, it has proved hugely popular with fans since its inception, with more than seven million votes cast last year alone.
For full details of the nominees and to place your vote, visit en.toty.uefa.com.
