France, Spain rule FIFPro shortlist
World champions France had eight players, one less than former holders Spain, in international players' association FIFPro's 55-name shortlist for its World XI of 2018 award.
Ten players out of last year's World XI, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, were named on the list, with Spanish giants Real Madrid the best represented club with 11 players.
World Cup semi-finalists England had three nominations in Tottenham Hotspur pair Harry Kane and Kieran Trippier as well as Manchester City's Kyle Walker.
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane were the only two African nominees.
Wales and Real forward Gareth Bale, who scored twice in the Champions League final in May which Madrid won 3-1, did not make the list.
Around 25,000 professional footballers from 65 countries took part in the poll to decide the contenders. The World XI will be announced at The Best FIFA Football Awards in London on September 24.
SHORTLIST
GOALKEEPERS (5): Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Thibaut Courtois (Belgium), David De Gea (Spain), Keylor Navas (Costa Rica), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Germany).
DEFENDERS (20): Jordi Alba (Spain), Daniel Carvajal (Spain), Giorgio Chiellini (Italy), Dani Alves (Brazil), Diego Godin (Uruguay), Mats Hummels (Germany), Joshua Kimmich (Germany) Dejan Lovren (Croatia), Marcelo (Brazil), Yerry Mina (Colombia), Benjamin Pavard (France), Gerard Pique (Spain), Sergio Ramos (Spain), Thiago Silva (Brazil), Kieran Trippier (England), Samuel Umtiti (France), Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands), Raphael Varane (France), Sime Vrsaljko (Croatia), Kyle Walker (England).
MIDFIELDERS (15): Sergio Busquets (Spain), Casemiro (Brazil), Philippe Coutinho (Brazil), Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium), Eden Hazard (Belgium), Andres Iniesta (Spain), Isco (Spain), N'Golo Kante (France), Nemanja Matic (Serbia), Luka Modric (Croatia), Paul Pogba (France), Ivan Rakitic (Croatia), David Silva (Spain), Arturo Vidal (Chile).
FORWARDS (15): Karim Benzema (France), Edinson Cavani (Uruguay), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Paulo Dybala (Argentina), Antoine Griezmann (France), Harry Kane (England), Robert Lewandowski (Poland), Romelu Lukaku (Belgium), Mario Mandzukic (Croatia), Sadio Mane (Senegal), Kylian Mbappe (France), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Neymar (Brazil), Mohamed Salah (Egypt), Luis Suarez (Uruguay).