Fifpro World XI: Can Kenyan Players Ever Break Into Football’s Most Elite List?

Kenyan players continue to dream of global recognition as the Fifpro World XI highlights football’s ongoing gap in African representation.

African players have long shone on the global stage but their representation in the prestigious Fifpro Men’s World XI remains frustratingly scant.

The 2025 edition, voted on exclusively by professional footballers, has made this imbalance apparent once more. While the finest Europe had to offer dominated the line-up, no African player made the final cut-a fact that says a lot about the challenges still facing footballers from the continent.

This year's selection included young sensation Lamine Yamal, who made history as the youngest ever player to feature in the Men's World XI at just 18.

PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Google News, Stay informed with Latest Sport News

The Spanish prodigy shattered Kylian Mbappé's record previously and joined an impressive lineup featuring the likes of Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, and Virgil van Dijk.

Yet, even as the football world celebrated youth and excellence, African representation was conspicuously absent. For a continent that has produced icons such as Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, and Mohamed Salah, the omission is glaring.

Notably, Salah was overlooked again despite his consistency at Liverpool.

The omission of the Egyptian underlines the broad structural and political dynamics that define such global recognitions, given how selections are dominated by players from European clubs, especially Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, and Chelsea. This puts African stars on the fringes of the biggest accolades in football.

This year, five players from PSG made the cut, symbolizing how team success in elite European competitions remains the golden ticket to such recognition.

The list also saw Gianluigi Donnarumma, now at Manchester City after his move from PSG, take the goalkeeper’s spot.

Defenders Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes, midfielders Vitinha and Pedri, and forwards like Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé rounded out a team rich in European flair and club prestige.

But for many fans, especially in Africa, the continued exclusion of their talents from that sort of recognition raises uncomfortable questions about their visibility, opportunity, and bias within global football.

Why African Talent Still Struggles for Global Recognition

For Kenya and many other African countries, the dream of seeing one of their own in the Fifpro World XI seems far from reality.

The structural limitations of African football prevail. Kenya, for example, can produce players with great technical ability and growing domestic leagues, but this will never replace the infrastructure, investment, and continual exposure to the best talent that European systems consistently provide. Rarely does a player from this region make it into one of the top five leagues where media attention and global recognition are far stronger.

The talent, however, is undeniable. In recent years, Kenyan footballers such as Victor Wanyama and Michael Olunga have proved they can compete on the international front. Wanyama, formerly of Tottenham Hotspur, proved that Kenyan players can thrive in elite environments. Olunga's goalscoring exploits in Japan and Qatar have also proved that Kenyan forwards possess both skill and discipline.

But neither player has come close to being mentioned among the world's best - a reflection not of ability alone, but of the global football ecosystem's imbalance.

What is needed to bridge the gap is a strong footballing infrastructure: right from youth academies, investment in domestic leagues, up to good representation on the international arena. Exposure through continental events such as the Africa Nations Cup and representation in top European clubs remains key.

Until then, the Fifpro World XI may remain mostly a platform for superstars from Europe and South America.

But with the right development pathways, ambition and visibility, there is no reason why a future edition couldn’t feature a Kenyan name among the best. The continent has the potential, it just needs the world to look closer.

Who is in the Men's World XI?

Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris St-Germain/Manchester City, Italy)

Defenders: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool, Netherlands), Achraf Hakimi (PSG, Morocco), Nuno Mendes (PSG, Portugal)

Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid, England), Cole Palmer (Chelsea, England), Pedri (Barcelona, Spain), Vitinha (PSG, Portugal)

Forwards: Ousmane Dembele of PSG, France; Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid, France; Lamine Yamal of Barcelona, Spain