Ballon d'Or bronze not enough as Shaw misses FIFPRO World 11 shortlist
Key Points(5)
- Jamaican striker Khadija “Bunny” Shaw has suffered a surprising omission from the 26-player shortlist for the 2026 FIFPRO Women's World 11, despite enjoying an outstanding season with Manchester City and finishing third in the Ballon d'Or voting.
- The shortlist, released by FIFPRO on Monday, features several prominent names, including England internationals Ella Toone, Chloe Kelly and Aggie Beever-Jones, but Shaw's absence stands out given her remarkable contribution to City's domestic success.
- The final World 11 will be unveiled on November 9, meaning the players named on Monday's shortlist are still competing for places in the prestigious team.
- Remarkable season fails to earn Shaw recognition Shaw was instrumental in Manchester City's campaign, leading the club's scoring as they secured the Women's Super League and FA Cup double.
- According to BBC Sport, the Jamaican international scored 21 goals in 22 league appearances, performances that helped earn her the Women's Super League Player of the Year award.
Jamaican striker Khadija “Bunny” Shaw has suffered a surprising omission from the 26-player shortlist for the 2026 FIFPRO Women's World 11, despite enjoying an outstanding season with Manchester City and finishing third in the Ballon d'Or voting.
The shortlist, released by FIFPRO on Monday, features several prominent names, including England internationals Ella Toone, Chloe Kelly and Aggie Beever-Jones, but Shaw's absence stands out given her remarkable contribution to City's domestic success.
The final World 11 will be unveiled on November 9, meaning the players named on Monday's shortlist are still competing for places in the prestigious team.
Remarkable season fails to earn Shaw recognition
Shaw was instrumental in Manchester City's campaign, leading the club's scoring as they secured the Women's Super League and FA Cup double.
According to BBC Sport, the Jamaican international scored 21 goals in 22 league appearances, performances that helped earn her the Women's Super League Player of the Year award.
Her third-place finish in the Ballon d'Or voting further underlined her standing among the leading players in women's football, making her omission from the FIFPRO selection particularly notable.
Shaw was not the only high-profile absentee. Zambia's Temwa Chawinga, Haiti's Melchie Dumornay, Norway's Caroline Graham Hansen and Denmark's Pernille Harder were also overlooked, along with England stars Lauren Hemp and Lauren James.
Players, not pundits, decide the finalists
FIFPRO's selection process is distinct from other individual football awards, with the nominations determined exclusively by professional players.
A total of 6,511 women's footballers representing 64 countries participated in this year's voting. The assessment period covered performances between August 4, 2025, and August 16, 2026, with players required to have made at least 20 official appearances during that period to qualify.
Consequently, the shortlist reflects the collective choices of fellow professionals rather than Ballon d'Or standings or other individual award results.
Chelsea and Manchester United well represented
Chelsea have five players among the finalists: Beever-Jones, Lucy Bronze, Ellie Carpenter, Hannah Hampton and Katie McCabe.
The London club also highlighted Bronze's remarkable record in the competition. The England defender made the final World 11 for an eighth time last year, when Hampton and former Chelsea captain Millie Bright were also selected.
Manchester United midfielder Toone is among seven players shortlisted in her position.
She faces competition from Barcelona's Aitana Bonmati, Ghizlane Chebbak, Patri Guijarro, Anaele Le Moguedec, Vicky Lopez and Alexia Putellas.
Hampton is among three goalkeepers nominated, alongside Ann-Katrin Berger and Catalina Coll.
The forward category includes Zambia's Barbra Banda, Norway's Ada Hegerberg, Poland's Ewa Pajor and England's Alessia Russo.
Final team to be announced November 9
The FIFPRO Women's World 11 will comprise 11 players selected according to positional voting totals.
One goalkeeper and three players each from defence, midfield and attack will earn automatic selection based on their votes. The remaining position will go to the outfield player with the next-highest overall tally.
FIFPRO will announce the final team through its digital platforms at 13:00 GMT on Monday, November 9.
