Spain headline World Cup warm-up tournament

Defending world champions Spain and African champions Nigeria feature in an eight-team 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ warm-up tournament to be staged in the United States between 27 May and 10 June.

The 'Road To Brazil' event, organised by Major League Soccer, also features Bosnia-Herzegovina,Greece, Côte d'Ivoire, Honduras, as well as two teams not going to Brazil - Bolivia and El Salvador.

The World Cup kicks off on 12 June.

Bayern extend record, Dortmund thrash Bremen

Leaders Bayern Munich extended both of their unbeaten league records with a 2-0 win at Nuremberg as the European champions remained 13 points clear in the Bundesliga.

The 39-point gulf between the two teams in the league table was evident, leaving runaway leaders Bayern with 56 out of a possible 60 points this season.

This was Bayern's 45th unbeaten Bundesliga match, dating back to October 2012, and their 29th unbeaten away league game to extend their records after a rare win in Nuremberg.

"I quickly noticed why Bayern had only won once in six years at Nuremberg," Bayern coach Pep Guardiola said.

"Nuremberg were aggressive and played very intensively, they had two or three clear chances.

"After we went 2-0 up, things got easier for us, but the pitch made things difficult and wasn't good for our possession."

Despite the heavy surface, Bayern still enjoyed more than 60 per cent possession -- down from the average of 75 they are accustomed to -- while defeat dropped Nuremberg back into the bottom three.

"The first-half cost us a lot of strength and the belief wasn't as great," admitted Nuremberg coach Gertjan Verbeek.

"It was almost impossible to come back after they went 2-0 up soon after the break."

Bayern needed just 17 minutes to take the lead at Nuremberg's Grundig Stadium when Germany star Mario Gotze put David Alaba in space down the flank and the Austria left-back flicked in a cross for Mario Mandzukic to volley home.

The Croatia striker then turned provider when he put captain Philipp Lahm in space to fire home on 49 minutes as Bayern counter-attacked.

It should have been more when Arjen Robben hit the post ten minutes later, but Bayern were in complete control.

Dortmund thrash Werder BremenThird-placed Borussia Dortmund enjoyed a 5-1 win at Werder Bremen with Poland striker Robert Lewandowski and attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan both scoring twice.

Dortmund made their pressing game count when defender Marcel Schmelzer pounced on a mistake on the left and slid his pass in for Lewandowski to hit the top right-hand corner with 26 minutes gone.

Dortmund doubled the lead at Bremen's Weser Stadion when Arminia's Mkhitaryan scored his first league goal since September when he held off a challenge from Holland's Eljero Elia and blasted his shot into the left-hand corner four minutes from the break.

Veteran centre-back Manuel Friedrich then volleyed home just after the break to claim his first Bundesliga goal for two years.

Lukasz Piszczek's shot clipped the crossbar on 56 minutes, but Dortmund grabbed their fourth when Mkhitaryan curled in his second after Marco Reus's superb back-heel pass on 62 minutes before Lewandowski added a late fifth.

Bremen midfielder Levent Aycicek scored a late consolation on his Bundesliga debut, but there was precious little else for Werder fans to enjoy.

This was the 12th time this season Bremen have conceded three or more goals and coach Robin Dutt is under increasing pressure with his side 13th and just three points from the relegation places.

In the basement battle, Eintracht Frankfurt moved up to 12th with a 3-0 win at home to bottom side Eintracht Braunschweig.

Freiburg were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Hoffenheim while sixth-placed Wolfsburg enjoyed a 3-0 win at home to Mainz.

Hamburg were beaten 3-0 at home by Hertha Berlin with a Gustavo Ramos brace and Sami Allaguigoal leading to the comprehensive victory. 

On Friday, second-placed Bayer Leverkusen enjoyed a 1-0 win at Borussia Monchengladbach with South Korea's Son Heung-Min scoring the second-half winner.

Wenger dumbfounded by 'naive' Arsenal

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger branded his side "naive" and said that they had conceded goals "in slow-motion" after they crashed 5-1 at Premier League title rivals Liverpool.

Liverpool scored four goals in the first 20 minutes at Anfield en route to a victory that took them to within five points of Arsenal, who went into the weekend as league leaders.

"It was a very poor day," Wenger told BT Sport. "Only the fans were good for 90 minutes. All the rest on our side, we were poor -- defensively, offensively -- and they (the goals) were all scored in slow-motion.

"Overall, on top of that, we were caught on two set-pieces at the start. But the performance was very poor and Liverpool played very well, so congratulations to them. We have to bounce back from that, and as quickly as possible.

"We were too open. Every acceleration from Liverpool was deadly for us and defensively, from up front to the back, we were not at the level that you are used to."

For Arsenal, it was the worst possible start to a run of fixtures that includes a league game with Manchester United on Wednesday, another meeting with Liverpool in the FA Cup next weekend, and a UEFA Champions League last-16 tie with defending champions Bayern Munich.

Asked how his side could put the defeat by Liverpool behind them, Wenger replied: "By the desire to give the right response. These are top-level sportsmen.

"We have shown since the start of the season we can do that, but of course it raises some questions today (Saturday) because we were caught many times and were a bit naive."

He added: "I'm confident we will (bounce back). Of course we produced a poor performance on a day when you couldn't afford it. But we have to think why, why it happened, and make sure it doesn't happen again."

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was unsurprisingly delighted by his team's display, but he was reluctant to talk up their title chances.

"It was an incredible performance," he said. "It's not the first time we've been outstanding at home, but everything about us today was incredible. Everything was outstanding.

"We've been getting better and better. We've got a lot of young players, developing well. But for us it's just about improving."

A brace from Martin Skrtel put Liverpool 2-0 up inside ten minutes, with Raheem Sterling adding a double and Daniel Sturridge also finding the net before Mikel Arteta replied for Arsenal with a 69th-minute penalty.

Barcelona and Chelsea go top, Monaco hold Paris

There were changes at the top in both Spain and England as FC Barcelona returned to the Liga summit and Chelsea FC made the most of a punishing loss for Arsenal FC at Liverpool FC. The big showdown in France ended in a 1-1 draw between AS Monaco FC and Paris Saint-Germain, while FC Bayern München and Juventus preserved their respective advantages. UEFA.com recaps the action.

Spain
The situation could not be tighter at the top of the Liga, with Barcelona, Real Madrid CF and Club Atlético de Madrid all locked together on 57 points. The big losers of the weekend were Atlético, who surrendered their three-point lead due to a2-0 loss at UD Almería. "Football has these things: sometimes you win, some games are tied and some you lose," said Rojiblancos coach Diego Simeone. "We do not seek excuses." Madrid wiped out the gap with a 4-2 win against Villarreal CF, despite the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, and FC Barcelona also leapt on the opportunity, getting back to winning ways with a 4-1 win at Sevilla FC to move back into pole position and leave the title race fascinatingly poised.

EnglandEden Hazard hit a sublime hat-trick as Chelsea overpowered Newcastle United FC 3-0 at Stamford Bridge and pulled a point clear at the Premier League summit. "Hazard's performance was similar to other ones, the only difference being that today he grabbed goals. He has consistency and ambition," said manager José Mourinho. Meanwhile, previous leaders Arsenal were dismantled 5-1 by Liverpool, who struck four times inside the opening 20 minutes, before third-placed Manchester City FC drew 0-0 at Norwich City FC. On Sunday, a last-gasp equaliser earned Fulham FC a 2-2 draw at Manchester United FC.

FranceThe spoils were shared between the top two in Ligue 1 as Monaco prevented leaders Paris forging eight points clear by holding them to a 1-1 draw after Laurent Blanc's men had taken an early lead. "A draw in Monaco is not a bad result," said Blanc, whose side remain five points clear. "Monaco are a competitor. They have ambition." Beneath the top two, LOSC Lille finally recorded their first league win of 2014, overcoming second-bottom FC Sochaux-Montbéliard 2-0 to move three points ahead of fourth-placed AS Saint-Étienne, who drew 0-0 at Toulouse FC. In fifth, Olympique de Marseille swept aside SC Bastia 3-0.

Italy
Juventus missed the chance to move 11 points clear at the top of the Serie A standings after conceding a last-gasp equaliser in a 2-2 draw at Hellas Verona FC, Juanito pegging them back in added time. "We've had a few lapses on set pieces recently," commented Juve coach Antonio Conte. "Maybe this setback will help us – the team needs a serving of humble pie. The league isn't won yet." His charges nonetheless remain nine points ahead of AS Roma after the second-placed side drew 0-0 at capital rivals SS Lazio, with SSC Napoli another three points back following their 3-1 defeat of AC Milan. In fourth, ACF Fiorentina saw off Atalanta BC 2-0.

GermanyPhilipp Lahm ended a three-year goal drought as Bayern maintained their 13-point cushion at the head of the Bundesliga by edging 1. FC Nürnberg 2-0. "We didn't start well, but the pitch hardly invited us to build from the back. We reacted at half-time and we were much improved after the break," the Germany full-back explained. As for Bayer 04 Leverkusen, they tightened their grip on second spot with a 1-0 defeat of VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach, while Borussia Dortmund flexed their muscles by dispatching SV Werder Bremen 5-1.

Elsewhere
FC Porto took advantage of the postponement of SL Benfica's match with Sporting Clube de Portugal to move within a point of the Eagles at the Portuguese summit by beating FC Paços de Ferreira 3-0. In Switzerland, meanwhile, FC Basel 1893 struck a potentially decisive blow by seeing off second-placed BSC Young Boys 3-2 to go five points clear. SK Rapid Wien prevailed 3-1 against FK Austria Wien in the Vienna derby, but it is FC Salzburg blazing the trail in Austria, 17 points out in front after a 6-0 dismantling of SV Grödig in second. In Turkey, finally, leaders Fenerbahçe SK lost 2-0 to Sivasspor, allowing Galatasaray AŞ to cut the gap to four points.

Juventus denied after capital derby stalemate

Serie A leaders Juventus were denied by a last-gasp equaliser at Hellas Verona FC on a day when the Rome derby finished goalless.

As for second-placed AS Roma, they remain nine points off the pace after being held by city rivals SS Lazio, who lie ninth, with FC Internazionale Milano moving fifth after Walter Samuel got the only goal in a 1-0 win against US Sassuolo Calcio. The match between Parma FC and bottom side Calcio Catania ended 0-0, while Bologna FC pulled clear of the drop zone with a 2-1 comeback triumph at Torino FC, courtesy of two goals from Jonathan Cristaldo.The Bianconeri were well on course for a 20th Serie A victory this term after Carlos Tévez struck twice inside the opening 21 minutes. The pendulum then swung in favour of the home side, however, with former Italian international Luca Toni reducing the arrears seven minutes after half-time, before Juanito sensationally levelled the scores in added time.

Elsewhere, Daniele Gastaldello steered UC Sampdoria to a 1-0 defeat of Cagliari Calcio and Genoa CFC prevailed by the same scoreline at struggling AS Livorno Calcio.

Messi's pride restored, says Martino

Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino said Lionel Messi had answered his critics in the best way possible as the Argentine scored his first two goals from open play in 10 league games as the Catalan giants won 4-1 at Sevilla on Sunday.

Sevilla had gone ahead early on under the torrential rain at the Sanchez Pizjuan, but Messi led his side's revival as he firstly crossed for Alexis Sanchez to bundle home the equaliser before finishing off a fine counter-attack with a stunning half-volley just before half-time.

The four-time FIFA World Player of the Year doubled his tally for the evening with another sweet finish from Andres Iniesta's pass 11 minutes after the break and Cesc Fabregas rounded off the scoring three minutes from time.

Messi had been questioned for his poor goalscoring form since returning from a hamstring injury at the start of the year, but Martino insisted it was only a matter of time before he returned to form in front of goal.

PSG surrender late own goal, Lyon win

A Thiago Silva own goal denied Paris Saint-German victory at their closest French Ligue 1 rivals Monaco on Sunday as the top two clubs in France played out their second 1-1 draw of the season.

The result left PSG still firm favourites to win a second consecutive title as they remain five points ahead of Monaco with 14 games to be played.

Monaco salvaged a point after PSG's captain Silva stretched and inadvertently turned a Fabinho cross into his goal in the 74th minute.

The result was probably a fair reflection of the match, but PSG will be the most disappointed as they had held the lead since the eighth minute through a headed goal by Javier Pastore.

Lurking at the back post, Pastore, who was drafted into the PSG side as replacement for injured striker Edinson Cavani, was able to score from close range after a corner had been flicked-on from defender Alex.

Monaco's response to going behind was immediate and they should have been level just six minutes later, but Emmanuel Riviere squandered a great chance pushing a rebound from Sirigu wide with the goal at his mercy. But it was not all one-way traffic.

PSG should have doubled their lead when Ibrahimovic, of all people, squandered a fine opportunity from just five yards out after good play on the left flank between Pastore and Maxwell.

The second-half was a more scrappy affair with PSG largely in control. PSG came closest to scoring when Ibrahimovic fired in a fierce free-kick from the edge of the area which Monaco's Croatian goalkeeper Danijel Subasic did well to turn wide in the 55th minute.

Both sides had a chance to secure victory in the final minutes. First Fabinho was denied in the 89th minute from giving Monaco - who brought on former Fulham striker Dimitar Berbatov for his debut in the 64th minute - victory after his thunderous shot was well-saved by PSG's Sirigu.

Then just moments later, Monaco's Subasic pulled off a similar save to deny Ligue 1's top scorerZlatan Ibrahimovic.

Meanwhile, the chasing pack behind the top two teams mostly had a good weekend. Lille, Marseille, Lyon and Reims all won with Saint-Etienne the only side in the top seven not to get three points following a disappointing 0-0 at mid-table Toulouse.

Lyon's 2-1 win over Nantes was the only other action in Ligue 1 on Sunday, with Alexandre Lacazette and Bafetimbi Gomis giving Les Verts the victory.

FIFA Weekly Asks: Red card, penalty & ban, does it make sense?

Every seven days, FIFA Weekly will ask your opinion on a specific topic and the best comments will be published in the next edition of the magazine.

Simply click 'Add your comment' to make your opinion known, remembering to keep your posts clean, respectful, on-topic and in English. Express your point of view clearly.

The FIFA Weekly's question on this occasion is: Does the triple punishment of a red card, penalty and ban make sense?

Moyes: Don't write off United

Manchester United manager David Moyes insists his team still believe they can trouble the Premier League's best sides despite their miserable start to 2014.

Not including their extra-time League Cup match against Sunderland, United have won just two of their eight matches since the turn of the year following Sunday's 2-2 draw with bottom club Fulham.

They are nine points adrift of fourth-placed Liverpool and travel to Arsenal on Wednesday hoping to get their push for a UEFA Champions League place back on track.

But despite failing to beat teams like Swansea, Stoke, Sunderland and Fulham since the start of the year, Moyes maintains he still has confidence in his players.

He said: "We just go into the next game and take the teams on and challenge them. We've got a good team and there will be very few teams desperate to play Manchester United.

"The players are hurting. I can see every day that they're hurting because the results aren't going the way they want. They're really good professionals in the way they go about their work and what I see in training makes me feel they'll get results."

Chelsea's misfiring strikers and their title aspirations

Samuel Eto'o                   Torres                     Demba Ba

We have passed the midway mark of the premier league, but we can look at the Premier League goal scoring charts and make some analysis pertaining to Chelsea strikers. After sending Romelu Lukaku on loan to Everton, Chelsea have three strikers (Fernando Torres, Samuel Eto’o, and Demba Ba) at the disposal of Jose Mourinho.

Of the three strikers, none can be found on the premier league scorers chart. Torres has scored the most goals among the trio which of course is nothing to write home about.

as Eden Hazard and Oscar ( with 8 and 6 goals respectively) continue to pull the strings at Chelsea, would this scoring rate of the strikers affect Chelsea's title aspirations?

ARSENAL: 10 YEARS WITHOUT A TROPHY???

Arsenal's last major cup triumph was in 2005

If arsenal fail to win a major trophy over the next two seasons, it would mean 10 years without a trophy. And for a side with such history, I think it is something worth celebrating. We had better start planning for an anniversary.... Right????

Manchester City have one foot in final after destruction of woeful West Ham.

Manchester City's Alvaro Negredo completes his hat trick goal by scoring his side's fourth goal against West Ham.

The only surprise, perhaps, was that Manchester City restricted themselves to six. The tie was so one-sided, the opposition so utterly abject, that there were moments when it was easy to imagine City would go even better than the seven they rattled past Norwich earlier in the season, never mind the six that Arsenal and Tottenham sieved inside this stadium. The fifth goal went in with more than a third of the game still to go and, after that, the goal machine that is Manuel Pellegrini's team must have been feeling charitable to add only one more.

Their latest haul, incorporating a stylish hat-trick from Alvaro Negredo, brings their tally to 59 goals in 15 home matches this season, keeping up the remarkable average of almost four every game. 

Mikel seeks to halt Drogba, Toure dominance

The wait is almost over and in the next 15 hours, the King of African football will be unveiled at the 2013 Glo-CAF Awards Gala on Thursday, January 9 in Lagos, Nigeria.

The contenders for the crown are Ivorian duo, Yaya Toure and Didier Drogba, who are facing stiff opposition from Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel.

Toure has won the most prestigious individual honour in African football the last two years, 2011 and 2012; whilst Drogba picked up the coveted prize in 2006 and 2009.

However, 26-year old Mikel, who stars for English giants, Chelsea is hoping to gatecrash a third title ambition of the Ivorian duo. No Nigerian player has annexed the prize since ex-captain Nwankwo Kanu’s coronation in 1999. The latter was first crowned in 1996.

The Chelsea midfielder is Nigeria’s biggest hope of landing the elusive crown for the first time in more than a decade, but faces great competition from Drogba and Toure. He is the last Nigerian standing after an initial 10-man short list that included compatriots Ahmed Musa, Emmanuel Emenike and goalie Vincent Enyeama.

Toure, who turns 31 in May has history on his side as he will become the second player after Cameroonian Samuel Eto’o to be crowned the foremost footballer on the continent three times in a row. Eto’o achieved the feat in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

At 35, Drogba continues to glow and wants to add to his rich list of honours after becoming the first Ivorian to win the award in 2006. A feat that will eventually pave the way for Toure, who will narrowly pip him to the crown last year.

The winner will be decided by votes from the Head Coaches or the Technical Directors affiliated to CAF.

The annual Glo CAF awards will take place on Thursday, 9 January 2014 in Lagos, Nigeria.
Really something to look forward to.

french Ligue 1 returns to action this friday

Ligue 1 action resumes on Friday as Paris Saint-Germain, Monaco and Lille pursue their quest to become 2014 French champions following the winter break.

Monaco get things started on Friday when they travel to struggling 2012 champions Montpellier looking to erase their three point deficit to PSG, who are in action on Saturday in Corsica at rock bottom Ajaccio.

Lille have somehow managed to stay in touch with their financially stronger rivals, after former Montpellier title-winning coach Rene Girard fashioned a first half of the season that saw them lose just three times in 19 outings.

The northern outfit, who last won the French title in 2011 under current Roma boss Rudi Garcia, come into the weekend four points off top spot as they await eighth-placed Reims in the final match on Sunday evening.

Monaco coach Claudio Ranieri said earlier this week that he wants to slash his extensive squad during the transfer window but admits it is a luxury problem that most managers would love to have.

Sousa: Ronaldo merits the recognition

I think when you look at the statistics and moments he has produced, Cristiano is leading the national team to its highest level. He is a player that continues to develop and reach new levels. With the image he carries and projects in world football I am sure he will continue to do all he can to produce the best results with Portugal so to get that level of recognition [as the nation's best player].
when asked who the balloon d'or award should go to, he said:
"As a Portuguese I expect him to win it, but also for all he has done over the last few seasons, as it has been absolutely amazing. He is always bettering himself, he is a polite person and still young. When I met him and worked with him he always came across as someone who was setting targets so he could then go and beat them, he has a lot of ambition within himself. He deserves the recognition."


source: fifa.com

Messi returns for Barcelona with a brace

Lionel Messi said he is looking forward to another big year in 2014 after scoring twice in his comeback from injury as Barcelona swept aside Getafe 4-0 in the first leg of their Copa del Rey last 16 tie on Wednesday.

The four-time FIFA Ballon d'Or winner made his first appearance since early November as a substitute just after the hour mark with Barça leading 2-0 thanks to a Cesc Fabregas double.

And it didn't take long for the Argentina forward to make his mark as he slotted home from close range before registering his 16th goal of the season with a trademark solo run and finish in stoppage time.

There will be high expectations placed upon the 26-year-old over the next seven months as he spearheads Barça's campaign to win trophies on three fronts before leading his country at the FIFA World Cup™ in Brazil.

DAVID MOYES GIVES REASONS FOR SUBSEQUENT LOSSES

MANCHESTER UNITED BITES THE DUST! LOSE 2 1 TO SUNDERLAND..

yet another defeat for the red devils

Manchester united were once again defeated yesterday in the league cup semifinals leaving them winless this year. All 3 matches have resulted in 2 1 defeats leaving manager David Moyes under intense pressure to win. How long would this last??

SPORTS VALUES: Transforming Nigeria and the entire World through ...

SPORTS VALUES: Transforming Nigeria and the entire World through ...: This is to wish readers of this new blog site a new year, of overflowing peace, joy, prosperity, health, safety, promotions, gladness plu...

would the red devils bounce back??

Manchester united take on Sunderland football club in today's 1st leg of the capital 1 cup semi finals on the back of successive home defeats to Tottenham and Swansea respectively. Do you think they can come away with a win? put your predictions as comments please...

Antonio Di Natale announces his retirement

After a lengthy and successful football career, Udinese forward Antonio Di Natale has announced he will retire following the season.

Natale has had success both for club and country and has been capped for Italy 42 times. He also played in three World Cup games in 2010, scoring one goal. But his real mark will be his time for Udinese, where he's scored 164 Serie A goals since joining the team in the 2004-05 season.

Though he also spent eight years at Empoli, his legacy will always be most closely tied to his Udinese days and his goal-scoring record, especially once he hit his 30s.

Walcott out for six months

Walcott carried off against Tottenham on Saturday.

Injury is a desperately cruel blow for Theo Walcott, arsenal and for England – they cannot do without players of his talent

Ronaldo dedicates double to Eusebio

Cristiano Ronaldo dedicated his two goals in Real Madrid's 3-0 win over Celta Vigo on Monday to Portuguese legend Eusebio, who died at the age of 71 on Sunday.

Before the game at the Santiago Bernabeu a minute's silence was held alongside a video showing Eusebio with Ronaldo and other Real Madrid greats such as Alfredo di Stefano.

And Ronaldo welcomed the tributes that have been made to the man nicknamed the "Black Panther".

"I want to thank everyone, especially to all the people in spain for the homage they have paid to Eusebio. For the Portuguese it is very important to feel the warmth shown by the Spanish people," said Ronaldo.

"He was someone who was very close to me and obviously my goals today were dedicated to him. He helped me a lot with the national team and he is an example for us. It is very sad that we have lost one of the greatest players of all time."

Victory moved Real back to within five points of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid at the top of the Spanish La Liga.

However, the scoreline was flattering to Real as Celta passed up a host of clear-cut chances before benzema opened the scoring 23 minutes from time.

Ronaldo then took centre stage as he swept home late crosses from Dani Carvajal and Gareth Bale to take his tally for the season to 29.

The return of Ikechukwu Uche?

Ikechukwu Uche's hat-trick provided the inspiration for Villarreal to seal a slightly flattering 5-2 victory at struggling Rayo Vallecano.

Uche opened the scoring after just ten minutes and Hernan Perez's brace before half-time put the Yellow Submarine firmly on course for all three points, with Vallecano made to pay for poor finishing.

Uche then scored his second and third after the break to complete the rout, with Nery Castillo's double - the second from the penalty spot - for the home side proving mere consolation.

We Nigerian's would definitely want him at the world cup and let us hope he keeps up this form>>>

Eusébio

Eusébio da Silva Ferreira

January 25, 1942 - January 5, 2014

a legend indeed

Who should be the worlds' best footballer of 2013 ???

One of the things that a lot of football lovers look forward to is the annual world player of the year awards popularly known as the "Balloon d'Or" and this year we have Frank Ribery of France, Lionel Messi of Argentina, and the of course Cristiano Ronaldo of portugal. 

Star trio vie for FIFA's women’s award

Marta of brazil, Nadine Angerer of germany and Abby Wambach of the usa, are in the race to pick up the women's award... who do you think deserves the award?

Fifteen midfielders shortlisted for FIFA FIFPro World XI 2013

who shoud not be on this list??

FIFA FIFPro World XI 2013

Twenty defenders have been shortlisted for FIFA FIFPro World XI 2013. lets see what you think.