Real Madrid and Spain keeper Iker Casillas has been shortlisted for Fifa’s 2014 World XI despite a poor World Cup and only 12 league games.<\/p>\n
Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois is also on the list, along with Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer, Barcelona’s Claudio Bravo and Juventus’s Gianluigi Buffon.<\/p>\n
But Casillas is the surprising name, despite being in the team for five years from 2008 to 2012.<\/p>\n
He only made two La Liga appearances in 2013-14 and a further 10 this season.<\/p>\n
The 33-year-old, who did lift the Champions League with Real, was badly at fault for at least one goal in each of Spain’s World Cup defeats by the Netherlands and Chile, as the holders exited after the group stage.<\/p>\n
Courtois makes the list after helping Atletico Madrid to the Spanish title last season during his loan spell, then impressing for Belgium in their run to the World Cup quarter-finals.<\/p>\n
Neuer, who was in the 2013 team, was in goal as Germany won the tournament in Brazil and also won the domestic double with his club.<\/p>\n
The winner, voted for by 20,000 players worldwide, will be unveiled on 12 January at the Ballon d’Or awards. The shortlists for the other positions are yet to be announced.<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
Source: BBC Sport<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Real Madrid and Spain keeper Iker Casillas has been shortlisted for Fifa’s 2014 World XI despite a poor World Cup and only 12 league games. Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois is also on the list, along with Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer, Barcelona’s Claudio Bravo and Juventus’s Gianluigi Buffon. But Casillas is the surprising name, despite being in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":68088,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[29,3],"yoast_head":"\n