The EA Sports FIFA Team of the Year nominees were announced Wednesday morning via Twitter. The list of nominations features 55 players made up from the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1 and the Serie A. All nominees were chosen based on their real-world performances in 2018.

A vote from a list of media, athletes, and EA Sports FIFA community members will choose the team of the year (TOTY). Each vote consists of three attackers, three midfielders, four defenders, and one goalkeeper. The ballots submitted by this group accounts for 60% of the vote, while EA Sports will cast the remaining 40%. All ballots must be shared on social media with the hashtag #TOTYVote by January 7.

The final Team of the Year will be announced on January 7. Special TOTY player items will be available in packs for a limited time in FIFA 19 Ultimate Team.

Goalkeepers

• Alisson Becker, Brazil, Liverpool
• Jan Oblak, Slovenia, Atlético Madrid
• David De Gea, Spain, Manchester United
• Hugo Lloris, France, Tottenham
• Thibaut Courtois, Belgium, Real Madrid

David De Gea was a member of the Team of the Year squad in FIFA 18, but it’ll be tough for him to repeat. De Gea is considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world but struggled in the 2018 World Cup and for Manchester United.

The most deserving goalie is arguably Hugo Lloris. Lloris led his nation to a World Cup championship in July and has Tottenham in a title race in the Premier League.

Defenders

• Jordi Alba, Spain, Barcelona
• Daniel Carvajal, Spain, Real Madrid
• Diego Godin, Uruguay, Atlético Madrid
• Joshua Kimmich, Germany, Bayern München
• Giorgio Chiellini, Italy, Juventus
• Samuel Umtiti, France, Barcelona
• Kalidou Koulibaly, Senegal, Napoli
• Marcelo, Brazil, Real Madrid
• Lucas Hernández, France, Atlético Madrid
• Kostas Manolas, Greece, Roma
• Sergio Ramos, Spain, Real Madrid
• Thiago Silva, Brazil, PSG
• Mats Hummels, Germany, Bayern München
• Kieran Trippier, England, Tottenham
• Raphaël Varane, France, Real Madrid
• Virgil Van Dijk, Netherlands, Liverpool
• Jan Vertonghen, Belgium, Tottenham
• Kyle Walker, England, Manchester City
• Šime Vrsaljko, Croatia, Inter Milan
• Dejan Lovren, Croatia, Liverpool

Sergio Ramos and Marcelo from Real Madrid highlight the list of Team of the Year nominees for defenders. Ramos and Marcelo were selected for the TOTY squad last season and have a strong chance to repeat this year. Other front-runners to make the list are Thiago Silva, Raphaël Varane, Kyle Walker, and Jordi Alba.

Midfielders

• Casemiro, Brazil, Real Madrid
• Paul Pogba, France, Manchester United
• David Silva, Spain, Manchester City
• Isco, Spain, Real Madrid
• Kevin De Bruyne, Belgium, Manchester City
• Paulo Dybala, Argentina, Manchester City
• Fernandinho, Brazil, Manchester City
• Ivan Rakitić, Croatia, Barcelona
• N’Golo Kanté, France, Chelsea
• Toni Kroos, Germany, Real Madrid
• Luka Modrić, Croatia, Real Madrid
• Blaise Matuidi, France, Juventus
• Sergio Busquets, Spain, Barcelona
• Ivan Perišic, Croatia, Inter Milan
• Marco Reus, Germany, Borussia Dortmund

Real Madrid and Manchester City dominate the Team of the Year nominees for the midfield. The TOTY in 2018 featured Luka Modrić, Kevin De Bruyne, and N’Golo Kanté. I wouldn’t be shocked at all if we see a repeat of that. Modrić is the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, becoming the first midfielder to win the award since Kaká in 2007. De Bruyne led his Manchester City squad to a league title in 2018, while Kanté won the World Cup with France.

Attackers

• Sergio Agüero, Argentina, Manchester City
• Edinson Cavani, Uruguay, PSG
• Antoine Griezmann, France, Atlético Madrid
• Eden Hazard, Belgium, Chelsea
• Harry Kane, England, Tottenham
• Robert Lewandowski, Poland, Bayern München
• Mario Mandžukic, Croatia, Juventus
• Neymar Jr., Brazil, PSG
• Kylian Mbappe Lottin, France, PSG
• Leo Messi, Argentina, Barcelona
• Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal, Juventus
• Luis Suárez, Uruguay, Barcelona
• Mohamed Salah, Egypt, Liverpool
• Gareth Bale, Wales, Real Madrid
• Sadio Mané, Senegal, Liverpool

The Team of the Year nominees for attackers is stacked with talent. Everyone listed above is deserving of their nomination, and all could be featured in the squad. It’s going to be tough to pick your top three players. Ronaldo and Messi are almost shoe-ins every year, based on their recognition on the pitch, but will that remain the same in 2019? Based on their performances in their leagues and the World Cup, I would say yes.

The third spot is tough to decide, but I feel that Mbappe’s performance at the World Cup will put him over Neymar and Salah.