Magnificent 7: Chelsea’s FIFPRO World 11 Stars

Since the inception of the FIFPRO men’s World 11 in 2005, seven Chelsea players have found themselves named in the team on at least one occasion. Featuring among the XI is an exceptionally tough ask as rarely does an undeserving player make it into the global dream team. The fact that seven Chelsea players have made the cut speaks volumes about the talent that has graced Stamford Bridge over the years.

What Is the FIFPRO World 11?

Before covering Chelsea’s magnificent seven, it is worth quickly mentioning what the FIFPRO World 11 is. FIFPRO is a global trade union for footballers and each year they run a team of the (previous) season award called the World 11. Who makes the team is solely determined by the votes of fellow players. For the men’s award, typically around 28,000 votes are cast, with each of them equally weighted.

The format has been tweaked over the years. Previously the award used a fixed 4-3-3 formation but now they operate using a 3-3-3 formation and allocate the extra place to whatever outfield player has the next highest number of votes. The thing that has stayed constant though is that this is the only global award decided exclusively by players. Being selected by your peers gives the award a good amount of prestige, so players take huge pride in being selected.

Below are the seven players to have been named in the FIFPRO World 11 while playing for Chelsea. We will also give a special mention to one other player who was named in the team based on his performances for the Blues, even if he had left the club by the time the award was announced.

John Terry – 5 (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)

For five consecutive years, John Terry found himself named in the FIFPRO World 11. Only eight players have featured in the team more times than Chelsea’s most successful captain and nobody from England. Some younger football fans might not appreciate how good Terry was but featuring in this team for five successive years says a lot about how other players viewed him.

One of the best defenders of his generation, Sergio Ramos is the only centre-back to enjoy more appearances in the FIFPRO World 11. Somewhat incredibly, despite making the World 11 in 2007, 2008 and 2009, he did not even make the PFA Premier League Team of the Year in those years!

N’Golo Kanté – 2 (2018, 2021)

After helping guide Leicester to a shock Premier League title in 2016, Chelsea splurged £32m to sign the Frenchman. What a deal this proved to be as his unbelievable work rate and ability to win back the ball proved to be such a defensive asset. His consistency was also a huge strength, although he was particularly good in 2018, a year he was also named Chelsea’s Player of the Year. His inclusion in the 2021 World 11 was influenced by his role in guiding the Blues to a Champions League win. During the successful European adventure, Kanté featured in all 13 matches.

Eden Hazard – 1 (2018)

Hazard was named in the FIFPRO World 11 in both 2018 and 2019 but by the time of the second inclusion, he had already secured his dream move to Real Madrid. He perhaps had to wait longer than he should have before featuring in this illustrious XI.

There was a strong case for him to feature in 2015 and 2017 and he was a finalist both times but just missed out. The former Lille man did eventually make his way in there and with his reputation sky-high by 2019, Real Madrid paid £100m plus add-ons for his services.

Didier Drogba – 1 (2007)

Following an extremely productive season, which saw Drogba score 33 goals in 60 Chelsea appearances, the powerful striker made his way into the World XI. Of the 33 goals, one was the winning strike in the FA Cup final and another two came in the 2-1 League Cup final win over Arsenal. Always a player for the big occasion, it is easy to see why the Ivorian attracted the admiration of his fellow players. It is only surprising he did not make the team again in 2010 as his herculean efforts saw him bag 37 goals in 44 appearances.

Frank Lampard – 1 (2005)

That’s right, Frank Lampard featured in the FIFPRO World 11 on only one occasion despite regularly being among the finalists. It just goes to show how competitive the team is when someone of the Englishman’s quality only sneaks in once. His sole entry came following the 2004/05 season, a title-winning one for the Blues and one which saw Lampard as the club’s top scorer. It was a year Lampard could not stop winning awards as he also collected the likes of the FWA Footballer of the Year, PFA Fans’ Player of the Year and Premier League Player of the Season.

Claude Makelele – 1 (2005)

Completing the Chelsea trio in 2005 was Claude Makelele. This remains the only year the Blues have had three players in the FIFPRO World XI and the sometimes-underrated Frenchman deserved his spot. More defensive-minded players tend to get overlooked in such voting contests, something highlighted by the fact Sergio Busquets never once made it into the team.

The fact Makelele got in means he must have done something special. Chelsea were truly formidable that year but despite all their stars, Jose Mourinho said that the Frenchman was the club’s player of the season.

Jorginho – 1 (2021)

Finally, we come to Jorginho, who featured alongside Kanté and Kevin De Bruyne in the 2021 World XI. Although he was rarely, if ever, a highlight reel player, the Italian was an excellent signing for the Blues. He enjoyed a particularly exceptional season in 2020/21, albeit chiefly for Italy, and was named UEFA Player of the Year, as well as bagging a third-place finish in Ballon d’Or voting.

Jorginho (and Kanté) remain the most recent Chelsea inclusions in the FIFPRO XI but could Cole Palmer be next? The young Englishman was one of the finalists in 2024 and will surely be a strong contender to make the cut in future if he continues on his current trajectory.

(Special mention) David Luiz – 1 (2014)

Our special mention goes to central defender, David Luiz. Although he was playing for PSG at the time the 2014 World 11 was announced, he spent the qualifying period (2013/14 season) turning out for Chelsea. He was by all accounts a very surprising inclusion in the team though.

Not only was he not particularly present for Chelsea, starting just 15 league games, but it was the year of Brazil’s humbling 7-1 defeat to Germany, in which Luiz played a “starring” role. A real headscratcher this one, and a fairly rare example of a player probably not deserving their place.