Real Madrid won the Fifa Club World Cup last season, but other than that is was a barren campaign for the Spanish giants. Third in La Liga, semi-finalists in the Copa del Ray and they only reached the Round of 16 in the Champions League.
That they went through three managers (Julen Lopetegui, Santiago Solari and Zinedine Zidane) during the season speaks volumes of what a disaster it was. And the new season hasn't started too smoothly either.
Yet as the names were read out at the star-studded Fifa Best Awards at Milan's Teatro alla Scala for the Men's World XI, there were not one, not two, but three Real Madrid players from last year's horror show - plus new signing Eden Hazard, but he's exempt from any blame.
Puzzled football fans took to social media to voice their surprise at seeing defenders Sergio Ramos and Marcelo in the team, along with midfielder Luka Modric.
Those 3 real Madrid players must have entered that #fifa team of the year by default. Even after having such an awful season 3 reall Madrid players made the best 11? Utterly Disgusting! #FIFAFootballAwards
— SirFlix™ (@Yvel_Cchilufya) September 23, 2019
From the world eleven am not shocked messi won the best player award.
— PAPI (political titan🔱) (@youngritzy) September 24, 2019
So no man city player made the FIFA 11 and am seeing Madrid with four players 😂 🤣 😅..
Imagine Robertson been removed for marcelo and B.Silva removed for modric.
Am a Madrid fan tho.#FIFAFootballAwards
Many were also confused by the lack of any Manchester City players in the team following their Premier League success last season and general domination of English football.
Similarly, Champions League winner Mohamed Salah came fourth in the voting for Best Men's Player but didn't make the team, while his Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane was also absent despite coming fifth.
See the slideshow at the top showing who we thought was worthy of a place in the team and who wasn't.
Here's the list of the other award winners on the night:
Men's Player: Lionel Messi
Women's Player: Megan Rapinoe
Men's Coach: Jurgen Klopp
Women's Coach: Jill Elliss
Women's Goalkeeper: Alisson
Women's Goalkeeper: Sari van Veenendaal
Puskás Award: Daniel Zsori
Fan Award: Silvia Grecco
Fair Play Award: Marcelo Bielsa
