The EA Sports FIFA 22 TOTY has been revealed today, with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah a surprise omission from the squad after his fantastic 2021.
Despite Liverpool not winning any trophies in 2021, Salah was sensational for the Reds last year, with the winger playing a major part in Jurgen Klopp's side securing qualification for the Champions League. And Salah has continued to perform at a remarkable level this year, being arguably being the best player in the world since the start of the 2021/22 season.
The Egyptian was one of the favourites to be included in the FIFA 22 TOTY which was revealed on Thursday, January 20, 2022 at 15:30 GMT, but he hasn't been selected, with Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe included instead.
The FUT TOTY is one of the most anticipated releases in the FIFA calendar, where the best 11 players from world football in 2021 are rewarded with permanently upgraded player items, making them some of the best items in the game.
The 11 best players were chosen through a public vote, and the FIFA community ended up voting for five Premier League players to be included in the TOTY starting XI - but no Salah, and no one from Liverpool.
Let's take a look at the FIFA 22 TOTY and who made it ahead of Salah.
FIFA 22 TOTY XI revealed with no Mohamed Salah
- GK: Gianluigi Donnaruma (Paris Saint-Germain)
- RB: Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain)
- CB: Marqinhos (Paris Saint-Germain)
- CB: Ruben Dias (Manchester City)
- LB: Joao Cancelo (Manchester City)
- CM: Jorginho (Chelsea)
- CM: N'Golo Kante (Chelsea)
- CM: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
- RW: Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain)
- ST: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
- ST: Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)
Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski and Paris Saint-Germain duo Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe were the three forwards chosen for the FIFA 22 TOTY ahead of Salah.
Lewandowski grabbed 58 goals and seven assists in 47 appearances, deservedly earning himself his spot in the TOTY after missing out on the Ballon d'Or.
The eventual winner of the Ballon d'Or, Messi, has endured a tough start to life in Paris, but the forward still grabbed 43 goals and 13 assists in 2021 whilst winning his first-ever Copa America.
Kylian Mbappe tallied 43 goals and 16 assists in 2021 as he grabbed the most goal contributions in the Champions League for 2021, also winning the Nations League with France, but when compared to Salah, both wingers registered similar attacking numbers.
Salah grabbed 37 goals and 11 assists in 53 appearances in 2021, with 24 of those goals coming in the Premier League, six more than any other player in that time.
The 29-year-old was also directly involved in 35 goals in the Premier League in 2021 (24 goals, 11 assists), 11 more than the closest player.
In total, five Premier League players made the FIFA 22 TOTY - Man City's Kevin De Bruyne, Ruben Dias and Joao Cancelo were included along with Chelsea duo N'Golo Kante and Jorginho.
Powered by Football, EA SPORTS FIFA 22 brings the game even closer to the real thing with a new season of innovation across every mode and groundbreaking next-gen HyperMotion gameplay technology on PlayStation5 that elevates every moment of the match.
Do you agree with the FIFA 22 TOTY? Let us know in the comments below!
