Discover the FIFA World Cup Dream XI, chosen by global fan vote! Spain, France, and Argentina dominate, with one English player making the cut. See the top perf
Spain, the recent FIFA World Cup champions, along with France and Argentina, have multiple players featured in the official Dream XI, selected through a global fan vote. This team recognises the top performers from the tournament held across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Despite England securing a third-place finish, only one of their players made the final selection.
Jude Bellingham is the sole England representative in the Dream XI. The Real Madrid midfielder concluded the tournament with seven goals, marking the highest tally ever achieved by an England player in a single FIFA World Cup. His performance contributed to England‘s best finish in the tournament since 1966. Other notable England players, such as Bukayo Saka, who scored a hat-trick against France, and Declan Rice, who had a record-breaking performance in the third-place play-off, were not included in the fan-voted XI.
Dominant Nations in the Dream XI
Spain, who won their second World Cup title, has three players in the Dream XI. Captain Rodri, who also received the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player, leads the midfield. Full-backs Marc Cucurella and Pedro Porro join him, reflecting Spain‘s unbeaten run to the title, which culminated in a victory over Argentina.
France, despite finishing fourth, also has three players in the Dream XI. Kylian Mbappé, the Golden Boot winner with 10 goals, occupies a spot on the right side of the attack. He became the first player to win the World Cup Golden Boot twice and surpassed Lionel Messi‘s all-time World Cup scoring record with 22 career goals. Midfielder Michael Olise, who recorded seven assists, the most by any player in a single FIFA World Cup, and central defender Dayot Upamecano complete France‘s representation.
Beaten finalists Argentina have two players in the Dream XI. Lionel Messi, who finished with eight goals and four assists, is featured on the left wing. Defender Lisandro Martínez partners Upamecano in central defence. Completing the front three is Norway striker Erling Haaland, who scored seven goals and helped his country reach their first-ever quarter-final appearance in his World Cup debut.
Surprise Goalkeeper Selection
The goalkeeper spot in the Dream XI went to Cape Verde veteran Vozinha, a selection that surprised some given that Spain‘s Unai Simón won the Golden Glove award. Vozinha, at 40 years old, became a breakout star of the tournament during Cape Verde‘s run to the Round of 32, where they narrowly lost to Argentina 3-2 after extra time.
During the tournament, Vozinha kept clean sheets against both Spain and Saudi Arabia, making 18 saves. His performances reportedly led to a significant increase in his social media following, from approximately 50,000 Instagram followers before Cape Verde‘s opening match against Spain to 29.5 million by the end of the World Cup.
The Dream XI selections follow other individual honours announced after the tournament. Rodri received the Golden Ball, with Messi and Mbappé earning the Silver Ball and Bronze Ball, respectively. Unai Simón was awarded the Golden Glove, conceding only one goal in eight matches. The FIFA Young Player Award went to teenage defender Pau Cubarsí, while the Netherlands received the FIFA Fair Play Award for accumulating only three yellow cards throughout their campaign.
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Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
