The official world XI has been announced by FIFPro and the best team has split fans, pundits, journalists and professionals across the globe. Goal.com reporters from Europe, America, Asia, and Africa got together and voted for their favoured eleven from the nominations provided by FIFPro. Who would have made your dream team?

From the nominations provided by FIFPro, who would have been in your World XI?

Nominees (teams played for last season)

Goalkeepers:
Artur Boruc [Poland/ Celtic]; Gianluigi Buffon [Italy/ Juventus]; Iker Casillas [Spain/ Real Madrid]; Petr Cech [Czech Republic/ Chelsea], Edwin van der Sar [Holland/ Manchester United].

Defenders:
Daniel Alves [Brazil/ Sevilla]; José Bosingwa [Portugal/ FC Porto]; Fabio Cannavaro [Italy/ Real Madrid]; Ricardo Carvalho [Portugal/ Chelsea]; Gaël Clichy [France, Arsenal]; Ashley Cole [England/ Chelsea]; Patrice Evra [France/ Manchester United]; Rio Ferdinand [England/ Manchester United]; Philipp Lahm [Germany/ Bayern Munich]; Ferreira Lucio [Brazil/Bayern Munich]; Paolo Maldini [Italy/ AC Milan]; Alessandro Nesta [Italy/ AC Milan]; Pepe [Portugal/ Real Madrid]; Carles Puyol [Spain/ Barcelona]; Sergio Ramos [Spain/ Real Madrid]; John Terry [England/ Chelsea]; Nemanja Vidic [Serbia/ Manchester United]; Gianluca Zambrotta [Italy/ Barcelona]; Javier Zanetti [Argentina/ Inter]; Yuri Zhirkov [Russia/ CSKA Moscow].

Midfielders:
Deco [Portugal/ Barcelona]; Michael Ballack [Germany/ Chelsea]; Michael Essien [Ghana/ Chelsea]; Gennaro Gattuso [Italy/ AC Milan]; Cesc Fabregas [Spain/ Arsenal]; Steven Gerrard [England/ Liverpool; Andrès Iniesta [Spain/ Barcelona]; Kaká [Brazil/ AC Milan]; Frank Lampard [England/ Chelsea]; Javier Mascherano [Argentina/ Liverpool]; Andrea Pirlo [Italy/ AC Milan]; Franck Ribery [France/ Bayern Munich]; Marcos Senna [Spain/ Villareal]; Wesley Sneijder [Holland/ Real Madrid]; Xavi [Spain/ Barcelona].

Forwards:
Andrei Arshavin [Russia/ Zenit St Petersburg]; Dimitar Berbatov [Bulgaria/ Tottenham Hotspur]; Didier Drogba [Ivory Coast/ Chelsea]; Samuel Eto'o [Cameroon/ Barcelona]; Thierry Henry [France/ Barcelona]; Zlatan Ibrahimovic [Sweden/ Inter]; Lionel Messi [Argentina/ Barcelona]; Ruud van Nistelrooy [Holland/ Real Madrid]; Ronaldinho [Brazil/ Barcelona]; Cristiano Ronaldo [Portugal/ Manchester United]; Wayne Rooney [England/ Manchester United]; Carlos Tévez [Argentina/ Manchester United]; Luca Toni [Italy/ Bayern Munich]; Fernando Torres [Spain/ Liverpool]; David Villa [Spain/ Valencia].



Here is the official World XI according to FIFPro:

A selection of Goal.com's international journalists got together and voted for their own World XI. The weighting from our international office was as follows:

Casillas - 61 per cent of the vote

Ramos - 61%
Ferdinand - 50%
Terry - 45%
Evra - 45%

Xavi - 61%
Gerrard - 45%

Ronaldo - 78%
Ribery - 39%
Messi - 67%

Torres - 45%

Those unlucky not to make Goal.com's World XI were:

Buffon - 17%

Vidic - 33%
Carvalho - 28%

Senna - 33%
Fabregas - 39%
Iniesta - 28%

Ibrahimovic - 39%


Interestingly, the dominant division in Goal.com's world XI was the Premier League.

Premier League: 54%
La Liga: 37%
Bundesliga: 9%

The dominant nationality though was Spanish.

Spanish: 37%
English: 27%
French: 18%
Portuguese: 9%
Argentinian: 9%


We at Goal.com want to know who would have made your World XI! Scribble down your dream team below and hit enter... is it any different to the FIFPro or Goal.com's favoured selection? Do you think either teams made a serious error in omitting Ibrahimovic, Fabregas, or Vidic? Let us know...

Rafael Nadal has revealed that he would like to see Real Madrid try to sign Karim Benzema to boost their attacking capabilities in the next few seasons.

The tennis superstar was asked which French player he would most like to see play for his beloved Merengues in an interview with L'Equipe and admitted that there was more than one name he would consider. BUt after considering a list of players that would slot into the majority of the continent's best club sides, Nadal picked out Benzema as the player that could add the most to Madrid. "If I was to choose to sign one French player out of, say, Benzema, Ribery or Gourcuff then I would, without doubt, sign Benzema," he told the French newspaper. "I like Ribery a lot, he is a great player, but I know less about Gourcuff." Nadal admitted that he was also a fan of Samir Nasri, who chose to join Arsenal in the summer after several clubs showed an interest in signing him. "Another player who is very good is Nasri, who is young and looks like he will become better and better. I like him a lot too," the tennis ace added.

Fifa have today revealed the nominations for their World Player of the Year award.

3 players are in the running for the accolade, which is voted for by international captains and managers, with the award winner revealed on January 12 at a ceremony in Zurich.

All of the players listed are currently playing their football in Europe, with the English Premier League heading the nominations with 10 representatives.

Spain’s La Liga has 8 players nominated, while there are just 3 listed from Italy’s Serie A.

Germany’s Bundesliga and the Russian top-flight complete the nominations with one player each.

Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo, who recently won the FifPro player of the year award, is the current favourite to win the accolade.

However, he can expect heavy pressure from the likes of Iker Casillas, Fernando Torres, Lionel Messi and Kaka, who won last year’s award.

Full list of nominees for the Fifa World Player of the Year award:

Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal, Togo), Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid, Argentina), Andrei Arshavin (Zenit St Petersburg, Russia), Michael Ballack (Chelsea, Germany), Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus, Italy), Iker Casillas (Real Madrid, Spain), Deco (Chelsea, Portugal), Didier Drogba (Chelsea, Ivory Coast), Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona, Cameroon), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal, Spain), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool, England), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter Milan, Sweden), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona, Spain), Kaka (AC Milan, Brazil), Frank Lampard (Chelsea, England), Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Argentina), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich, France), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United, Portugal), John Terry (Chelsea, England), Fernando Torres (Liverpool, Spain), Ruud van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid, Holland), David Villa (Valencia, Spain) and Xavi (Barcelona, Spain).

Brazilian players have dominated the history of the award with 8 winners since its inception in 1991. Barcelona have been the most successful club, having had 6 winners playing for them when picking up the trophy.

Following his outburst at the weekend, Sergio Ramos’ long term future at Real Madrid could be in jeopardy as the club reconsiders his status within the squad.

The rightback stirred up a controversy at the weekend when he revealed during an interview that he is currently unhappy with his football at Real Madrid due to coach Bernd Schuster’s playing system.

Although the player and the coach have ironed out their differences and made their peace, it appears that the Los Blancos hierarchy are not quite done with the issue.

According to Radio Marca, the first action that the club have taken is to suspend all on-going negotiations to offer Sergio Ramos a life contract at the Bernabéu. The Madrid board had promised the player the same type of deal offered to the likes of Casillas, Guti and Raúl and an agreement was supposed to be signed immediately after the close of the summer transfer market back in August.

The arrangement, however, failed to materialize and talks resumed between the two parties but it looks as though the deal could be off completely now following events at the weekend.

It is also believed that Madrid have removed the ‘indispensable’ tag from the player’s squad status. The club were vehemently adamant in the past that Ramos is not for sale at any price but they are now reportedly willing to sit down and listen to offers. And they are even ready to start taking bids as early as the winter transfer window.

Finally, the 22 year old defender’s agent and brother, René Ramos held an emergency meeting with the club board on Tuesday and it is alleged that one of the key topics of discussion is the player’s possible departure to Serie A giants, AC Milan.

Michel Salgado has revealed that Sergio Ramos has asked for the Real Madrid squad to forgive him for his outburst last week and hopes that he can return to action soon.

The veteran defender was named in Bernd Schuster's team at the weekend against Athletic after Ramos complained about his role in the side and said that he was not enjoying himself.

While that did not go down well, Salgado told Marca that his team-mate has asked to be forgiven and that the players have now put the incident behind them.

"He has asked everyone at the club to forgive him. Sergio knows that he has made a mistake, but the matter is already sorted out," he explained.

"Sergio was affected by it because he knows it was an error. He is an important player in the squad. We need him at his best both physically and mentally. We also need the happiness he brings."

Salgado then refused to join Madrid's criticism of referees after Predrag Mijatovic stated that he felt there is a conspiracy against the club after the Athletic encounter.

"It was just a moment when he was heated up, nothing more. But every now and then it is good to let off steam," he continued.

"At the end of the season mistakes have been made in favour of everyone. It is true that we have had things go against us in the first few weeks of the season, but I have complete faith in the officials."

While Ramos had to watch from the bench, Salgado enjoyed playing on Sunday and hopes that his performance was good enough to earn him another chance soon.

"I enjoy each game that I play in the Bernabéu and I wear the shirt. I rally enjoyed being able to play again and to remind the fans and the coach that I am here," he added.

Milan are back on the hunt for Real Madrid stopper Sergio Ramos, according to Radio Marca...

The Spanish international is on the Rossoneri's Christmas wish list and he may arrive sooner rather than later according to the very latest reports coming from Iberia.

There has been plenty of hype surrounding Ramos' future at Los Merengues under Bernd Schuster and, although the press in Spain have been speaking of peace between coach and player, Radio Marca has other ideas.

Marca claim Ramos' brother and agent is meeting with Real Madrid officials to talk about a possible move to the club most interested in the defender, in this case it's Milan.

The Spanish stopper is looking for a new deal at the Bernabeu but it doesn't seem coming as the club are not willing to give the player what he wants in terms of a better wage package.

Reports suggest Ramos is becoming fed up of chasing the club over his future and, with Milan lying in wait, he may decide to pack his bags and move to San Siro.

Ramos would be an ideal transfer for Milan as he is only 22 and the Rossoneri will have no problem in accomodating his salary expectations. He would also be a replacement for the injury prone Alessandro Nesta as he can play in any position at the back.

Il Diavolo have always shown an interest and they are expected to pounce as early as the January transfer window.

Iker Casillas:

"Setting foot in this stadium is very special. Being able to play here is a dream I had ever since I was a kid; playing on a pitch that has hosted such great footballers. That dream has become reality, and now I play on a pitch that takes centre stage every weekend."

"My best memory is every time I came as a kid, but I will never forget what it was like setting foot on the turf for the first time. I had won the European Premier Nike Cup with the youth team and we had to make an appearance. It felt amazing, and it's when I said that I would someday be back."

Ramón Calderón congratulates the Santiago Bernabéu on its 60th birthday

Real Madrid President Ramón Calderón wanted to join in the festivities to pay tribute to the already legendary Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

Ramón Calderón knows how important the Santiago Bernabéu has become over its sixty years of history. The President still recalls an event that forever changed his life. "I have great memories of recent victories, but what I will never forget is the first time I visited the stadium with my father and grandfather. I couldn't have been more than 11, and it was a match against Osasuna which Real Madrid won two nil."

Calderón also has fond memories of his first visit to the Spanish capital."Madrid amazed me. I came from a small town in the province of Palencia, and the atmosphere around the stadium was so exciting that it's something I haven't forgotten in close to fourty years."

"Those of us who are Madridistas have shared great times here and it truly is a temple for Merengue fans," added the President.

"I would like to thank all those who helped make this an 'Elite Stadium', which now allows us to host a Champions League final. We've asked for the 2010 final and have a good chance of getting it. It would be a magnificent way to top of these sixty years of history."

Real Madrid 3-2 Athletic Bilbao

Football returned to the Santiago Bernabéu stadium with an encounter between two classic sides of the Spanish league. The match lived up to expectations and to the achievements of both Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao.

Bernd Schuster came up with an offensive line-up. Robben returned to the starting eleven and Van der Vaart, Sneijder and Gago took on midfielder duties. Heinze took Fabio Cannavaro's spot as centre back with Pepe and Marcelo played as left back. Míchel Salgado flanked them on the right wing. Higuaín played as a striker with Raúl due to Ruud van Nistelrooy's suspension.

The first minutes indicated that Real Madrid would end up dominating the match. Sneijder came close from scoring with a 50-metre shot. Five minutes later, Higuaín scored from a cross by Robben, but the goal was disallowed due to a non-existent offside. Athletic also tried their best and left back Balenziaga became their strongest man in attack and Salgado cleared a cross of his that was clearly looking for Llorente inside the box.

The match slowed down and Real Madrid failed to find a clear way to reach Iraoz's goal until Heinze found Sneijder between Athletic's lines and served him the ball. The Dutchman didn't falter in the one-on-one against the Basque keeper and scored from a beautiful crossed shot with his left foot before the 15-minute mark. Bilbao didn't loose face and looked for an equaliser with long passes. Llorente came close to netting a header, but Casillas' incredible reflexes saved the day.

Athletic grew impatient and the Madridistas, guided by an all-powerful Gago and an omnipresent Sneijder, began to hurt them in defence. Higuaín penetrated into Athletic's ranks and, after leaving two defenders behind, passed the ball back to Sneijder, whose subsequent hit one of the posts.

The Whites finally found the way to hurt Bilbao and HIguaín tried to score his team's second strike with a beautiful lobbed shot that wasn't on target. Real Madrid played their best football during thoise minutes. Gago's playmaking skill was latent, Sneijder did what he wanted with the ball and Higuaín dominated inside Athletic's area, as proven by the team's second goal. Sneijder served the ball to Van der Vaart, who in turn passed it with his heel to Raúl, who distracted the defenders before assisting Higuaín to score.

The fans started to relax and to enjoy their team's lead, but a fast, confusing and messy play in which Iraola fell on the ground in pain distracted the team, alowing Etxeberria to defeat Casillas. The Whites' beautiful game gave way to Bilbao's imprecission and straightforward football. Eventually, just before half-time, the Basque's scored again thanks to an unfairly awarded penalty on Llorente.

Real Madrid played much better at the start of the second half. Higuaín had a chance with a crossed shot. Heinze tried to score one minute later, but his shot hit the crossbar. In the end, Higuaín scored the victory goal thanks to a brilliant pass from Gago, who saw his run way back in midfield.

Athletic grew powerless against the Madridistas, who wanted to finish them off with another goal. Guti and Diarra came on for Van der Vaart and Raúl -respectively- to freshen up the team's attack. Llorente came close to scoring an equaliser in the final minutes, but in the end Real Madrid won the game. They haven't lost at the Bernabéu in more then one and a half years...

Real Madrid 3-2 Athletic Bilbao

Football returned to the Santiago Bernabéu stadium with an encounter between two classic sides of the Spanish league. The match lived up to expectations and to the achievements of both Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao.

Bernd Schuster came up with an offensive line-up. Robben returned to the starting eleven and Van der Vaart, Sneijder and Gago took on midfielder duties. Heinze took Fabio Cannavaro's spot as centre back with Pepe and Marcelo played as left back. Míchel Salgado flanked them on the right wing. Higuaín played as a striker with Raúl due to Ruud van Nistelrooy's suspension.

The first minutes indicated that Real Madrid would end up dominating the match. Sneijder came close from scoring with a 50-metre shot. Five minutes later, Higuaín scored from a cross by Robben, but the goal was disallowed due to a non-existent offside. Athletic also tried their best and left back Balenziaga became their strongest man in attack and Salgado cleared a cross of his that was clearly looking for Llorente inside the box.

The match slowed down and Real Madrid failed to find a clear way to reach Iraoz's goal until Heinze found Sneijder between Athletic's lines and served him the ball. The Dutchman didn't falter in the one-on-one against the Basque keeper and scored from a beautiful crossed shot with his left foot before the 15-minute mark. Bilbao didn't loose face and looked for an equaliser with long passes. Llorente came close to netting a header, but Casillas' incredible reflexes saved the day.

Athletic grew impatient and the Madridistas, guided by an all-powerful Gago and an omnipresent Sneijder, began to hurt them in defence. Higuaín penetrated into Athletic's ranks and, after leaving two defenders behind, passed the ball back to Sneijder, whose subsequent hit one of the posts.

The Whites finally found the way to hurt Bilbao and HIguaín tried to score his team's second strike with a beautiful lobbed shot that wasn't on target. Real Madrid played their best football during thoise minutes. Gago's playmaking skill was latent, Sneijder did what he wanted with the ball and Higuaín dominated inside Athletic's area, as proven by the team's second goal. Sneijder served the ball to Van der Vaart, who in turn passed it with his heel to Raúl, who distracted the defenders before assisting Higuaín to score.

The fans started to relax and to enjoy their team's lead, but a fast, confusing and messy play in which Iraola fell on the ground in pain distracted the team, alowing Etxeberria to defeat Casillas. The Whites' beautiful game gave way to Bilbao's imprecission and straightforward football. Eventually, just before half-time, the Basque's scored again thanks to an unfairly awarded penalty on Llorente.

Real Madrid played much better at the start of the second half. Higuaín had a chance with a crossed shot. Heinze tried to score one minute later, but his shot hit the crossbar. In the end, Higuaín scored the victory goal thanks to a brilliant pass from Gago, who saw his run way back in midfield.

Athletic grew powerless against the Madridistas, who wanted to finish them off with another goal. Guti and Diarra came on for Van der Vaart and Raúl -respectively- to freshen up the team's attack. Llorente came close to scoring an equaliser in the final minutes, but in the end Real Madrid won the game. They haven't lost at the Bernabéu in more then one and a half years...