News'The best recognition' - Virgil van Dijk on being named in FIFPRO Men's World 11 again

It was announced earlier this month that the Liverpool and Netherlands captain had been voted into the 2025 team by his peers, following his previous selections in 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2024.

More than 26,000 professional footballers globally were polled to determine the best 11 players between August 2024 and July 2025.

Van Dijk’s place in this year’s side means just nine players have been included more often since the first edition of the World 11 in 2005, while only three other men have been nominated on exactly five separate occasions: Iker Casillas, Kevin De Bruyne and John Terry.

Van Dijk said: “It’s an amazing feeling to be part of the FIFPRO World 11 again.

“Recognition from your fellow players is the best recognition, I think, you can get because obviously you play against each other [and] obviously they go through a lot of things that we are going through as well in the current game.

“Any recognition is great but together with the PFA Team of the Year – I think those two, when you get voted for by your fellow players, mean a lot. It’s something that I don’t take for granted.”