Bad news for Barcelona icon Messi as Ronaldo beats him to a top prize

- Lionel Messi has been shunned from the latest FIFA 21 team of the year

- This is the first time the Argentine football legend will be missing from the 11-man team

- Meanwhile, Ronaldo, Mbappe and Lewandowski headlines the three-man attack

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Barcelona legend Lionel Messi has been excluded from the FIFA 21 team of the year for the first time ever.

The 33-year-old Argentine star was replaced by Paris Saint Germain forward Kylian Mbappe in the right flank.

While Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski join the 2018 World Cup winner to complete the three-man attack.

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According to Goal, the team was arrived at after more than 10 million people cast their votes to decide who made the team eventually.

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Meanwhile, Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer starts in between the sticks and Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes along with Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich) and Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) will operate in the midfield.

The final XI was announced on Friday, January 22. In the past, cards have been available in packs within hours of the XI being confirmed.

The first set of player ratings were announced shortly after the XI. Ronaldo and Lewandowski received 98-rated cards, with Mbappe at 97.

FIFA 21 Team of the Year in full:

GK: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)

LB: Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich)

CB: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)

CB: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)

CM: Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)

CM: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)

CM: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)

LW: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus/Piemonte Calcio) - 98 OVR

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ST: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) - 98 OVR

RW: Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain) - 97 OVR

Messi had previously been involved in every Team of the Year since the promotion began in FIFA 11. He has 14 goals to his name this season after scoring 31 in 2019-20, but Barcelona’s struggles have clearly not gone unnoticed in the FIFA community.

Legit.ng earlier reported that Georgina Rodriguez has expressed joy following Cristiano Ronaldo’s Italian Super Cup triumph on Wednesday night, January 20, over Napoli.

Ronaldo grabbed a 64th-minute goal from close range before Paulo Dybala sealed the victory with a second goal in stoppage time to hand Andrea Pirlo his first managerial career title.

It is the Portuguese legend’s fourth title since his arrival at the Italian club in 2018 and his girlfriend Georgina says she is proud to have him as her lover.

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