Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi not included: The best XI of the season named

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the two greatest footballers to have ever played the game.

We’re not going to get into an argument over who is better right now but it’s clear the two superstars aren’t at the peak of their powers these days.

Ronaldo, 37, was unable to win a trophy during a wretched season for Manchester United despite scoring 24 goals in all competitions.

Meanwhile, Messi only managed 11 goals in his debut season for Paris Saint-Germain – his worst return since the 2005/06 campaign.

That’s why neither were in contention for the No.1 spot when Marca named the 100 best players of the 21/22 season earlier this week.

Ronaldo was ranked at No.21, while Messi had to settle for No.26.

On the back of the rankings, Marca have created an XI of the best players in the 2021/2 campaign based on the votes of the 71 members of the jury.

Ronaldo and Messi don’t feature.

Instead, the XI is dominated by Champions League finalists Real Madrid and Liverpool as well as a few from Premier League champions, Manchester City.

Check out the XI below:

5 Real Madrid players are included in @Marca's best XI of the season.