It might have a different name this year, but EA FC is still ringing in the New Year with official Team of the Year cards, which means we all have more things to argue about.
The EA FC 24 TOTY cards will feature a full women’s XI alongside the men’s XI, and the women’s side has their own full list of nominees as well. Have extremely strong opinions on who is getting opportunities in the USWNT midfield and want to argue the merits of dominating competition in the Saudi Pro League as means of nomination for Team of the Year? You’re in the right place!
As is usual, the final Team of the Year will come down to a fan vote, which opens up on EA FC’s website on Jan. 8. But until then, there’s plenty of room for discussion and debate around who will get your vote.
Here are a few of the biggest talking points for both the men’s and women’s nominees.
The return of Ronaldo
After the shock of not seeing Cristiano Ronaldo’s name on the list last year, he’s back among the elite. He’s lit up the Saudi Pro League to the tune of 20 goals and nine assists so far this season, and also recovered from a dismal international year in 2022 by his standards to strike 10 more goals for Portugal over nine Euro 2024 qualification matches.
Ronaldo ended 2023 as the world’s top goal scorer after netting his 54th goal the year in Al Nassr’s 4-1 victory at Al Taawoun on Dec. 30.
If voted into this year’s TOTY, he also has the chance to be one of the first players not plying their trade in one of Europe’s major leagues (Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1) to receive the honor. It’s probably fitting that should he do it, he’ll likely have to share the recognition with another on this year’s nominee list — eternal rival Messi.
Messi looks like MLS’ first TOTY member
Lionel Messi is on the list after his final half-season with Paris Saint-Germain and his brief but explosive maiden voyage in MLS, hitting for 11 goals and providing four assists in 14 appearances for Inter Miami CF, before succumbing to injury that doomed the rest of his campaign — along with Miami’s MLS Cup playoff hopes.
It’s clear Messi has more than has what it takes to torch MLS for the next couple of seasons, and perhaps it’s that kind of otherworldly talent, the likes of which MLS truly hasn’t seen play out in their midst in the league’s history, that will help propel him to another TOTY appearance.
Obviously, every first in soccer is a big one for MLS, and the MLS logo appearing on a TOTY card will likely spark at least some contentment from the league executives, who went to extraordinary lengths to land hm.
Manchester City paces the men’s nominees
The men’s nominations reflect the best club in the world last year: Manchester City. After winning the Premier League and FA Cup alongside the Champions League, the Club World Cup followed in December. It’s fitting to see City as the club with the most nominations.
Erling Haaland leads the list, which also includes Jack Grealish, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Rúben Dias, John Stones and Éderson. It’s difficult to argue with anyone’s inclusion here, and that City has nearly a full XI of players is indicative of just how dominant it was in 2023.
Goalkeepers
Alisson Becker – Liverpool, Éderson – Manchester City, Brice Samba – Lens, Gregor Kobel – Borussia Dortmund, Wojciech Szczesny – Juventus, Mike Maignan – AC Milan, Jan Oblak – Atlético Madrid, Marc-André ter Stegen – Barcelona
Defenders
William Saliba – Arsenal, Trent Alexander-Arnold – Liverpool, Virgil van Dijk – Liverpool, Rúben Dias – Manchester City, John Stones – Manchester City, Dante – Nice, Marquinhos – Paris Saint-Germain, Kim Min-Jae – Bayern Munich, Mats Hummels – Borussia Dortmund, Lucas Martínez Quarta – Fiorentina, Alessandro Bastoni – Internazionale, Bremer – Juventus, Theo Hernández – AC Milan, Giovanni Di Lorenzo – Napoli, Nicolás Otamendi – Benfica, Jules Koundé – Barcelona, Jesús Navas – Sevilla, José Gayà – Valencia, Jonathan Clauss – Marseille, Jeremie Frimpong – Bayer Leverkusen, Alejandro Grimaldo – Bayer Leverkusen, Federico Dimarco – Inter
Midfielders
Martin Ødegaard – Arsenal, Declan Rice – Arsenal, Kaoru Mitoma – Brighton & Hove Albion, Bernardo Silva – Manchester City, Kevin De Bruyne – Manchester City, Rodri – Manchester City, Bruno Guimarães – Newcastle United, Jarrod Bowen – West Ham United, Aleksandr Golovin – AS Monaco, Florian Wirtz – Bayer Leverkusen, Granit Xhaka – Bayer Leverkusen, Jamal Musiala – Bayern Munich, Leroy Sané – Bayern Munich, Julian Brandt – Borussia Dortmund, Vincenzo Grifo – SC Freiburg, Nicolò Barella – Inter, Federico Chiesa – Juventus, Adrien Rabiot – Juventus, Riyad Mahrez – Al Ahli, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic – Al Hilal, Pedri – Barcelona, Ilkay Gündogan – Barcelona, Aleix García – Girona, Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid, Toni Kroos – Real Madrid, Luka Modric – Real Madrid, Aurélien Tchouaméni – Real Madrid, Federico Valverde – Real Madrid
Attackers
Bukayo Saka – Arsenal, Mohamed Salah – Liverpool, Jack Grealish – Manchester City, Erling Haaland – Manchester City, Son Heung-Min – Tottenham Hotspur, Ousmane Dembélé – Paris Saint-Germain, Lee Kang-in – Paris Saint-Germain, Kylian Mbappé – Paris Saint-Germain, Randal Kolo Muani – Eintracht Frankfurt, Harry Kane – Bayern Munich, Loïs Openda – RB Leipzig, Serhou Guirassy – VfB Stuttgart, Lautaro Martínez – Inter, Rafael Leão – AC Milan, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – Napoli, Victor Osimhen – Napoli, Domenico Berardi – Sassuolo, Mehdi Taremi – FC Porto, Karim Benzema – Al Ittihad, Cristiano Ronaldo – Al Nassr, Antoine Griezmann – Atletico Madrid, Álvaro Morata – Atlético Madrid, Robert Lewandowski – Barcelona, Vinícius Júnior – Real Madrid, Takefusa Kubo – Real Sociedad, Gerard Moreno – Villarreal, Lionel Messi – Inter Miami
Spain, Liga F, and Barcelona dominate women’s nominees
It was probably to be expected with Spain winning the Women’s World Cup and Barcelona also taking home the Women’s Champions League crown last year, as there is heavy Spanish influence among the nominees. Seven of Spain’s World Cup stars are here, including favorites like Olga Carmona, Jenni Hermoso and Alexia Putellas.
Barcelona is the highest-represented women’s club, with 10 nominees. And more are present from other clubs and countries as well, like electric Colombia and Real Madrid attacker Linda Caicedo.
Liga F was the league with the highest amount of nominees at 15, beating out England’s Women’s Super League by a couple nominations.
If there’s one big takeaway, it’s the Spanish women’s game getting its flowers.
Goalkeepers
Christiane Endler – Lyon, Mary Earps – Manchester United, Merle Frohms – VfL Wolfsburg, Chiamaka Nnadozie – Paris FC, Jane Campbell – Houston Dash
Defenders
Wendie Renard – Lyon, Mapi León – Barcelona, Irene Paredes – Barcelona, Sakina Karchaoui – Paris Saint-Germain, Fridolina Rolfö – Barcelona, Katie McCabe – Arsenal, Millie Bright – Chelsea, Selma Bacha – Lyon, Ona Batlle – Barcelona, Amanda Ilestedt – Arsenal, Ellie Carpenter – Lyon, Glodis Viggosdottir – Bayern Munich, Niamh Charles – Chelsea, Naomi Girma – San Diego Wave FC, Olga Carmona – Real Madrid, Jenna Nighswonger – NJ/NY Gotham FC
Midfielders
Alexia Putellas – Barcelona, Aitana Bonmatí – Barcelona, Patri Guijarro – Barcelona, Debinha – Kansas City Current, Lena Oberdorf – VfL Wolfsburg, Grace Geyoro – Paris Saint-Germain, Keira Walsh – Barcelona, Clara Matéo – Paris FC, Caroline Weir – Real Madrid, Georgia Stanway – Bayern Munich, Leicy Santos – Atletico Madrid, Frida Maanum – Arsenal, Gaëtane Thiney – Paris FC, Janina Minge – SC Freiburg, Kerolin – North Carolina Courage, Estefanía Banini – Atletico Madrid, Barbara Dunst – Eintracht Frankfurt, Samantha Coffey – Portland Thorns FC
Attackers
Sam Kerr – Chelsea, Caroline Graham Hansen – Barcelona, Kadidiatou Diani – Lyon, Guro Reiten – Chelsea, Alexandra Popp – VfL Wolfsburg, Sophia Smith – Portland Thorns FC, Ewa Pajor – VfL Wolfsburg, Lauren Hemp – Manchester City, Lea Schüller – Bayern Munich, Salma Paralluelo – Barcelona, Racheal Kundananji – Real Madrid, Lynn Williams – NJ/NY Gotham FC, Rachel Daly – Aston Villa, Khadija Shaw – Manchester City, Chloe Kelly – Manchester City, Eugénie Le Sommer – Lyon, Trinity Rodman – Washington Spirit, Beth England – Tottenham Hotspur, Alba Redondo – Levante, Tabitha Chawinga – Paris Saint-Germain, Melissa Kössler – TSG Hoffenheim, Linda Caicedo – Real Madrid
NWSL lags behind other major women’s leagues
Five leagues are represented on the women’s nominee list, and while there are several NWSL players here, American fans might be surprised to see the the league lagging behind the rest in terms of total nominations, with leagues in Spain, Germany, England and France all receiving more player nods.
It was, of course, something of a transition year for the United States after their disappointing Women’s World Cup showing, and the international side’s presence in the NWSL makes the relative lack of league nominees a bit more understandable.
Trinity Rodman and Sophia Smith lead the American representatives, a group that also includes Lynn Williams, Samantha Coffey, Naomi Girma, Jenna Nighswonger and Jane Campbell. They’re joined by the Brazilian duo of Kerolin and Debinha in representing the league.
Even the video game knows the USWNT should’ve been playing Lynn Williams
A name conspicuously absent from the women’s nominee list is Alex Morgan, especially considering Lynn Williams is on it. Williams was only outscored in NWSL by one other American last season (Sophia Smith) and got herself a goal to open the scoring in the NWSL Championship game while leading the line for NJ/NY Gotham FC, going on to win the league’s biggest prize last year.
Williams, however, only got two opportunities to play for the U.S. at the Women’s World Cup. The team only managed to score four total goals in the tournament before going out in the round of 16, with three of those goals coming in their group opener against Vietnam. Hindsight is 20/20, but it’s difficult to imagine a player of Williams’ caliber not being a star for almost any other country in the world.
Unfortunately, she’s rarely been given the opportunity to be a difference-maker for her country when it matters most, with Morgan selected ahead of her.