Defenders Millie Bright and Maren Mjelde are among the contenders for the FIFA FIFPro’s Women World 11 2019.
The pair have been named in FIFA’s 55-player shortlist which has been voted for by fellow female professional footballers. Votes are based on the players’ performances throughout the 2018/19 season.
FIFA and FIFPRO will jointly reveal the Women’s World 11 on Monday 23 September during the Best Football Awards in Milan's Scala theatre. It will be the first time that both the Women’s and the Men’s World 11 are presented on the same stage.
This is the fourth Women's World 11 vote organised by FIFPRO since 2015. More than 3,500 elite female players worldwide picked their favourite team - consisting of 1 goalkeeper, 4 defenders, 3 midfielders and 3 forwards. The World 11 is made up of the 11 players who received most votes in their positions.
Bright, who was the Blues' vice-captain last year, had a hugely consistent season for Chelsea having made 29 appearances with eight of those as skipper. She then went on to play an integral role in England’s World Cup campaign, helping them reach the semi-finals.
Mjelde was absent from Emma Hayes’ Chelsea squad for a lenghtly period due to injury, but returned towards the latter stages of the season. And when she returned, she played superbly for the Blues. A standout moment for the Norwegian was when she scored the winning goal away to Paris Saint-Germain in the last minute to send us into the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Like Bright, she was solid for her country in France 2019 and skippered Norway to the quarter-finals, where they were beaten 3-0 by Bright’s England.
Our former goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl has been named on the shortlist. Lindahl, now at VfL Wolfsburg, was a Chelsea player throughout the voting period.
Full list of nominations:
Goalkeepers: Sarah Bouhaddi (France, Olympique Lyonnais), Christiane Endler (Chile, Paris Saint-Germain), Hedvig Lindahl (Sweden, VfL Wolfsburg/Chelsea), Alyssa Naeher (USA, Chicago Red Stars), Sari van Veenendaal (The Netherlands, Atletico)
Defenders: Millie Bright (England, Chelsea), Lucy Bronze (England, Olympique Lyonnais), Kadeisha Buchanan (Canada, Olympique Lyonnais), Abby Dahlkemper (USA, North Carolina Courage), Crystal Dunn (USA, North Carolina Courage), Nilla Fischer (Sweden, Linkopings/VfL Wolfsburg), Sara Gama (Italy, Juventus), Stefanie van der Gragt (The Netherlands, FC Barcelona), Alex Greenwood (England, Olympique Lyonnais), Stephanie Houghton (England, Manchester City), Ali Krieger (USA, Orlando Pride), Saki Kumagai (Japan, Olympique Lyonnais), Amel Majri (France, Olympique Lyonnais), Griedge Mbock Olympique Lyonnais, Maren Mjelde (Norway, Chelsea), Kelley O'Hara (USA, Utah Royals), Wendie Renard (France, Olympique Lyonnais), Michelle Romero (Venezuela, Deportivo La Coruna), Camila Saez (Chile, Rayo Vallecano), Becky Sauerbrunn (USA, Utah Royals)
Midfielders: Andressa Alves (Brazil, AS Roma), Kosovare Asllani (Sweden, CD Tacon/Paris Saint-Germain), Sara Daebritz (Germany, Paris Saint-Germain), Danielle van de Donk (The Netherlands, Arsenal), Julie Ertz (USA, Chicago Red Stars), Formiga (Brazil, Paris Saint-Germain), Jackie Groenen (The Netherlands, Manchester United), Amandine Henry (France, Olympique Lyonnais), Lindsey Horan (USA, Portland Thorns), Rose Lavelle (USA, Washington Spirit, photo), Carli Lloyd (USA, Sky Blue), Dzsenifer Marozsan (Germany, Olympique Lyonnais), Samantha Mewis (USA, North Carolina Courage), Sherida Spitse (The Netherlands, Valerenga), Keira Walsh (England, Manchester City)
Forwards: Oriana Altuve (Venezuela, Rayo Vallecano), Caroline Graham Hansen (Norway, FC Barcelona), Pernille Harder (Denmark, VfL Wolfburg), Tobin Heath (USA, Portland Thorns), Ada Hegerberg (Norway, Olympique Lyonnais), Jennifer Hermoso (Spain, FC Barcelona), Sam Kerr (Australia, Chicago Red Stars), Eugenie Le Sommer (France, Olympique Lyonnais), Lieke Martens (The Netherlands, FC Barcelona), Vivianne Miedema (The Netherlands, Arsenal), Alex Morgan (USA, Orlando Pride), Nikita Parris (England, Olympique Lyonnais), Megan Rapinoe (USA, Reign FC), Marta Vieira da Silva (Brazil, Orlando Pride), Ellen White (England, Manchester City).