First XI

For the Burmese newspaper, see First Eleven (newspaper).

Hale School First XI (plus schoolmaster) in 1907

The first XI or first 11 are the eleven primary players in an organisation's leading team, particularly a football team. A player who is considered part of the starting is often the most proficient in his/her particular position - for example, a football club's leading goal scorer will almost always be selected due to his ability and the contribution he/she makes to the team.

'First eleven' is a reference to the fact that they are the first eleven players selected to play for the team - many sports state that clubs must have squads of no fewer than $x$ number of players, and this number is often higher than 11. For example, in the Premier League, each club has to designate a squad of 25.

See also

• Starting lineup