EA FC 24 nominees: Ronaldo back with Messi, Spain women star

It might need a unique identify this 12 months, however EA FC remains to be ringing within the New Year with official Team of the Year playing cards, which suggests all of us have extra issues to argue about.

The EA FC 24 TOTY playing cards will function a full women’s XI alongside the boys’s XI, and the women’s aspect has their very own full record of nominees as nicely. Have extraordinarily robust opinions on who’s getting alternatives within the USWNT midfield and need to argue the deserves of dominating competitors within the Saudi Pro League as technique of nomination for Team of the Year? You’re in the best place!

As is common, the ultimate Team of the Year will come all the way down to a fan vote, which opens up on EA FC’s web site on Jan. 8. But till then, there’s loads of room for dialogue and debate round who will get your vote.

Here are a number of of the largest speaking factors for each the boys’s and women’s nominees.

The return of Ronaldo

After the shock of not seeing Cristiano Ronaldo’s identify on the record final 12 months, he is back among the many elite. He’s lit up the Saudi Pro League to the tune of 20 targets and 9 assists to date this season, and in addition recovered from a dismal worldwide 12 months in 2022 by his requirements to strike 10 extra targets for Portugal over 9 Euro 2024 qualification matches.

Ronaldo ended 2023 because the world’s prime aim scorer after netting his 54th aim the 12 months in Al Nassr’s 4-1 victory at Al Taawoun on Dec. 30.

If voted into this 12 months’s TOTY, he additionally has the possibility to be one of many first gamers not plying their commerce in certainly one of Europe’s main leagues (Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1) to obtain the consideration. It’s in all probability becoming that ought to he do it, he’ll probably need to share the popularity with one other on this 12 months’s nominee record — everlasting rival Messi.

Messi appears to be like like MLS’ first TOTY member

Lionel Messi is on the record after his remaining half-season with Paris Saint-Germain and his transient however explosive maiden voyage in MLS, hitting for 11 targets and offering 4 assists in 14 appearances for Inter Miami CF, earlier than succumbing to harm that doomed the remainder of his marketing campaign — alongside with Miami’s MLS Cup playoff hopes.

It’s clear Messi has greater than has what it takes to torch MLS for the following couple of seasons, and maybe it is that type of otherworldly expertise, the likes of which MLS actually hasn’t seen play out of their midst within the league’s historical past, that may assist propel him to a different TOTY look.

Obviously, each first in soccer is an enormous one for MLS, and the MLS emblem showing on a TOTY card will probably spark a minimum of some contentment from the league executives, who went to extraordinary lengths to land hm.

Manchester City paces the boys’s nominees

The males’s nominations mirror the perfect membership on the earth final 12 months: Manchester City. After profitable the Premier League and FA Cup alongside the Champions League, the Club World Cup adopted in December. It’s becoming to see City because the membership with probably the most nominations.

Erling Haaland leads the record, which additionally consists of Jack Grealish, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Rúben Dias, John Stones and Éderson. It’s tough to argue with anybody’s inclusion right here, and that City has almost a full XI of gamers is indicative of simply 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 in all probability to be anticipated with Spain profitable the Women’s World Cup and Barcelona additionally taking dwelling the Women’s Champions League crown final 12 months, as there may be heavy Spanish affect among the many nominees. Seven of Spain’s World Cup stars are right here, together with favorites like Olga Carmona, Jenni Hermoso and Alexia Putellas.

Barcelona is the highest-represented women’s membership, with 10 nominees. And extra are current from different golf equipment and nations as nicely, like electrical Colombia and Real Madrid attacker Linda Caicedo.

Liga F was the league with the best quantity of nominees at 15, beating out England’s Women’s Super League by a pair nominations.

If there’s one huge takeaway, it is the Spanish women’s sport 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, (*24*) – 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 different main women’s leagues

Five leagues are represented on the women’s nominee record, and whereas there are a number of NWSL gamers right here, American followers is likely to be stunned to see the the league lagging behind the remaining when it comes to whole nominations, with leagues in Spain, Germany, England and France all receiving extra participant nods.

It was, in fact, one thing of a transition 12 months for the United States after their disappointing Women’s World Cup displaying, and the worldwide aspect’s presence within the NWSL makes the relative lack of league nominees a bit extra comprehensible.

Trinity Rodman and Sophia Smith lead the American representatives, a gaggle that additionally consists of 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 online game is aware of the USWNT ought to’ve been enjoying Lynn Williams

A reputation conspicuously absent from the women’s nominee record is Alex Morgan, particularly contemplating Lynn Williams is on it. Williams was solely outscored in NWSL by one different American final season (Sophia Smith) and acquired herself a aim to open the scoring within the NWSL Championship sport whereas main the road for NJ/NY Gotham FC, happening to win the league’s largest prize final 12 months.

Williams, nevertheless, solely acquired two alternatives to play for the U.S. on the Women’s World Cup. The workforce solely managed to attain 4 whole targets within the event earlier than going out within the spherical of 16, with three of these targets coming of their group opener towards Vietnam. Hindsight is 20/20, but it surely’s tough to think about a participant of Williams’ caliber not being a star for nearly some other nation on the earth.

Unfortunately, she’s hardly ever been given the chance to be a difference-maker for her nation when it issues most, with Morgan chosen forward of her.