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The festive period at the end of the year is here, and footballers are getting their due share of acknowledgments.
However, standing out among peers is not always easy in such a global and competitive sport. Naturally, the best among the best get their deserving recognition across different events, and very few events are as prestigious as the IFFHS Men's team of the year.
Registered in Zurich, the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) is a premier global body for documentation of statistics related to football. The IFFHS maintains records and honors the best performers from the world of football with its GALA awards.
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IFFHS reveals the best men's XI for 2021
IFFHS reveals the best men's team of the year in December and it has done so this year on December 7. It features some of the best performers in football from all across the planet. Individual and club accolades are considered while determining which players find a place in the best XI of the year.
For 2021's Men's best XI, IFFHS has gone with a standard 4-3-3 formation, one of the most widely used formations in football. Eight nations, four continents and six clubs on the planet are represented by the eleven men present in the best XI of 2021.
Goalkeeper - Gianluigi Donnarumma
Gianluigi Donnaurumma had a remarkable year, especially for his national team as he was their best player at Euro 2020.
For his club side AC Milan, he was a steady performer until the summer. Donnarumma joined French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) as a free agent. The Parisian club can certainly consider it a major coup based on Donnarumma's performances so far in his career.
Additionally, the Italian goalkeeper was awarded the Yashin trophy in 2021 as well.
Donnarumma made his debut at an extremely young age in 2015 and has never looked back since. He is an extremely reliable keeper who uses his commanding presence and expert positioning to keep the ball out of the net.
Donnarumma is yet to become a regular for his new club, PSG, which might cost him this position next season. However, his place in the Men's best XI in 2021 is unquestionable.
Right-Back - Achraf Hakimi
Despite being only 22 years of age, Achraf Hakimi has already won trophies at some of the biggest clubs across Europe.
The Moroccan, who excels as an offensive wing-back, got his big break at Real Madrid. He then switched to Borussia Dortmund on loan and Inter Milan permanently for uninterrupted game time. Like Donnarumma, Hakimi also joined PSG in the summer of 2021.
Hakimi had a great year for his former club Inter, who he helped to win the Scudetto. However, Hakimi's ambitions have now taken him to PSG, where he will aim to win the Champions League. The right-back's offensive play and overlapping runs will be heavily required if PSG are to reach that coveted land.
Right Centre-Back - Leonardo Bonucci
Leonardo Bonucci has won many accolades throughout his career, but very few years will be as special to him as 2021. The veteran defender formed a solid pair with fellow Juventus centre-back Giorgio Chiellini for Italy. It was one of the primary reasons why Italy were so successful during their Euro 2020 triumph.
The no-nonsense centre-back remains one of Juventus' standout performers this season. This is despite Juventus having endured an extremely poor start to the campaign.
Bonucci is trying to combat a sub-par start with this defensive expertise and has even added to his goal tally. The 34-year-old has to shoulder part of the burden offensively as his club have found it hard to replace the goals of the now-departed Cristiano Ronaldo.
Left Centre-Back - Ruben Dias
Ruben Dias' year has been somewhat the reverse of Bonucci's. Dias was mediocre at best in the Euros as the Portuguese defense was pretty leaky, which resulted in their exit from the tournament. However, he has been the exact opposite for Manchester City, having joined them last summer.
Manchester City under Pep Guardiola may not have had a glaring weakness in defense, but they missed someone like Vincent Kompany. Ruben Dias filled those boots perfectly in his debut season as he looked like someone who had played a decade in the Premier League.
Dias was not only superb in tackling and ball recoveries, but his game-building ability is a skill that Guardiola deeply cherishes. The Portuguese was arguably the best centre-back at club level in the entirety of Europe in 2021.
Left-Back - Alphonso Davies
Alphonso Davies has been a revelation across Europe since he got his first big break at Bayern Munich. The Canadian left-back is only 21 years of age, but he has quickly set the bar for offensive wing-backs. Davies is extremely mobile, good with the ball, and his offensive runs are a threat to any opponent.
Davies had a fruitful year at club level as he helped Bayern Munich win the Bundesliga once again. The Bavarians narrowly missed out on the DFB-Pokal and were ousted prematurely by PSG in the UEFA Champions League.
However, wins and losses are part and parcel of football, and Davies has begun the new season brilliantly once again.
Right Central Midfielder - Jorginho
Jorginho is the third and final Italian to be part of the IFFHS men's best team in 2021. The midfielder had a year to remember and few players will enjoy such an extraordinary 12 months over the course of their footballing career.
Jorginho played major roles for both club and country and was an important proponent in both successes.
When Thomas Tuchel took over at Chelsea in January, he turned to the Italian to command his midfield. Jorginho didn't take long to settle in and soon became undroppable under Tuchel.
He provided both midfield creativity and defensive solidity as Chelsea won the Champions League and UEFA Super Cup. Jorginho played a similarly important role for Italy, and the Azzurri may not have been able to win Euro 2020 without the midfield metronome.
Central Midfielder - Lionel Messi
Can Lionel Messi have a more special year than 2021 when he won his record-extending seventh Ballon D'Or? The Argentine also broke the ice for his country as he finally led them to a cherished international trophy.
Argentina managed to beat their evergreen rivals Brazil 1-0 in the final to win the 2021 Copa America. However, Messi's outstanding performance couldn't drag Barcelona across the line as they lost the La Liga title on the final day. They also exited the Champions League prematurely, winning only the Copa del Rey.
Since then, Messi has been subject to the biggest free transfer in modern football history, moving from Barcelona to Paris. He has endured a slow start to his PSG career, but recent performances have raised fans' hopes.
As the footballing season intensifies, many will hope to see Messi in the same form that earned him a spot in 2021's IFFHS men's best XI.
Left Central Midfielder - Kevin De Bruyne
The 2020-21 season saw Kevin De Bruyne fall below his usual high standards, mostly due to niggling injuries. But the fact that still made it into the IFFHS men's best XI is testament to the Belgian's world-class abilities.
While KDB chipped in with important goals and assists, 2021 could have seen him celebrate more success. He did win the League Cup and the Premier League with Manchester City but the club fell one win short of winning the Champions League.
De Bruyne also failed to deliver the required spark for Belgium, who were knocked out of Euro 2020 by eventual winners Italy.
Right-Wing - Cristiano Ronaldo
2021 is a year where Cristiano Ronaldo may not have won too many team trophies. Ronaldo's best moment was arguably his homecoming which finally saw him return to Manchester United. But before that, the Portuguese set some unique records at his now-former club, Juventus.
Ronaldo became the first player to win all domestic trophies in England, Spain and Italy when he lifted the Coppa Italia with Juventus this year. His 29 goals in the league were enough to win him the top scorer trophy, making him the first footballer to do so in England, Spain and Italy.
Ronaldo's Euro title defense with Portugal may not have been fruitful, but the 36-year-old did win the Golden Boot at the tournament. He has started steadily at Manchester United and fans will hope Ronaldo produces similar performances once again.
Left Wing - Kylian Mbappe
Will Kylian Mbappe join Real Madrid, or will PSG keep him? This may have been the news making headlines, but the Frenchman managed another big season for PSG in the background. There were goals and assists galore for Mbappe as he showcased that transfer rumors were not enough to distract him.
However, there were moments of sadness in 2021 as well. Mbappe was largely ineffective for France throughout Euro 2020. His missed penalty also resulted in Switzerland knocking out Les Bleus in the tournament.
PSG failed to win Ligue 1 as well, only collecting one out of three domestic titles. However, Mbappe has begun the new campaign on the right foot and will hope to win both Ligue 1 and the Champions League with this time around.
Center Forward - Robert Lewandowski
Whether Robert Lewandowski should have won the 2021 Ballon D'Or or not will be a debate for years to come. But there is no debating Lewandowski's presence in the IFFHS men's football XI in 2021.
The Polish international may not have achieved much for the country at Euro 2020 but he was on a different level altogether for Bayern Munich.
Lewandowski finished the 2020-21 season with a staggering 48 goals. His club-wise accomplishments may have been reduced in 2021 as Bayern missed out on the DFB-Pokal and Champions League. But the Polish goal machine has started the new season from where he ended the previous campaign.
It remains to be seen if 'Lewangoalski' can better his 2021 performances and maybe even win the Ballon D'Or next term.
