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Who could break into the 2026 FIFPRO Women’s World 11?
The 2026 FIFPRO Women’s World 11 will be revealed on 9 November at 14:00 CET via FIFPRO’s social media channels, as we discover the winners of the only global football award decided exclusively by professional footballers.
Some of the game’s biggest names have featured regularly in recent editions, reflecting their consistency at the highest level and the challenge of breaking into a team selected by fellow players.
Aitana Bonmati, Lucy Bronze, Alex Greenwood, Barbra Banda and Alexia Putellas have all earned recognition from their peers. But each year, new contenders challenge for a place alongside them.
FIFPRO.org looks at five players whose performances during the voting period – from 4 August 2025 to 16 August 2026 inclusive – could earn them a place in the 2026 Women’s World 11.
Claudia Pina
Position: Forward
Age: 25
Club: Barcelona
Country: Spain
Previous World 11 nominations: 2 (2023, 2025)
After an exceptional season, Pina will be hoping it is third time lucky. A finalist in 2023 and 2025, the Barcelona forward is still seeking her first World 11 appearance.
Her goals and silverware underline her credentials: she won Liga F and the UEFA Women’s Champions League with Barcelona, as well as the UEFA Women’s Nations League with Spain, recording 32 goals and nine assists in 54 matches.
Pina scored 21 league goals at an average of 0.77 per game. She also helped Barça win the Spanish Super Cup and the Copa de la Reina, scoring in the final of the latter.
For Spain, she struck twice in the 3-0 victory over Germany in the Nations League final, finishing the campaign with eight goals and three assists in 10 appearances.
Emily Fox
Position: Defender
Age: 28
Club: Arsenal
Country: USA
Previous World 11 nominations: 0
Fox makes her first appearance among the 26 World 11 finalists after playing a key role in Arsenal’s FIFA Women’s Champions Cup triumph and runner-up finishes in the Women’s Super League and UEFA Women’s Champions League.
The USA full-back combines consistency and athleticism with an ability to contribute at both ends of the pitch. She demonstrated her attacking threat by setting up Arsenal’s second goal against Corinthians in the Champions Cup final.
In the WSL, Fox won 12 aerial duels – 80 per cent of those she contested – underlining another strength of her defensive game.
At international level, she helped the USA win the 2026 SheBelieves Cup, starting two of their three matches.
Ewa Pajor
Position: Forward
Age: 29
Club: Barcelona
Country: Poland
Previous World 11 nominations: 0
Pajor enjoyed a remarkable 2025/26 season, scoring 16 goals in Liga F, winning the domestic treble with Barcelona and claiming her first UEFA Women’s Champions League title.
The Polish striker was named Player of the Match in the European final after scoring twice and providing an assist. She also earned a place in the competition’s Team of the Season.
Her numbers tell the story: 34 goals and nine assists in 46 competitive appearances. She finished as the Champions League’s leading scorer with 11 goals and was the season’s top scorer in European club competition.
Perhaps the clearest indication of her importance to Barcelona was when those goals arrived: six came across the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.
Ellie Carpenter
Position: Defender
Age: 26
Club: Chelsea
Country: Australia
Previous World 11 nominations: 1 (2025)
Carpenter made an immediate impact in her first season at Chelsea following her move from Lyon, helping the club win the Women’s League Cup.
Whether playing at full-back or in a more advanced role, the Australian established herself as a key member of the team, featuring in 27 of their 29 matches. She contributed two goals and two assists in the WSL, alongside a goal and an assist in the Champions League.
Her performances earned her a place in the PFA WSL Team of the Year, while she also won PFA Australia’s Women’s Footballer of the Year award.
Carpenter impressed on the international stage, too, helping the Matildas reach the AFC Women’s Asian Cup final.
In June, she became the second-youngest player to reach 100 caps for Australia.
Patri Guijarro
Position: Midfielder
Age: 28
Club: Barcelona
Country: Spain
Previous World 11 nominations: 2 (2024, 2025)
Guijarro already knows what it means to earn a place in the Women’s World 11, having been selected by her fellow players in 2024. After reaching the shortlist but missing out on the team in 2025, she will be hoping to return this year.
Her ability to bring balance to midfield, dictate play, deliver accurate long passes and support attacks made her central to a Barcelona side that won four trophies.
Despite playing in a deeper midfield role, Guijarro also contributed 11 assists in 34 appearances for club and country.
How does the FIFPRO World 11 vote work?
FIFPRO and its affiliated player unions distribute unique links that give professional footballers around the world access to a digital voting platform. Last year, more than 26,000 professional footballers from 70 countries voted for their World 11.
Players select the three footballers who, in their opinion, have performed most outstandingly in each of the following positions: goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and forward.
The goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders and three forwards who receive the most votes in their respective positions are selected for the World 11. The final place is awarded to the remaining outfield player with the highest number of votes.
The Rules of Allocation can be accessed HERE.