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FIFA World Player of the Year (Men)

The FIFA World Player of the Year award is given annually to the football player who is voted as the best in the world. Here are all the award winners since 1991. Since 2004 the voting process is based on a shortlist of 35 players produced by FIFA, from which team captains, national team managers and select journalists vote for the winner.

Cristiano Ronaldo StatueStatue of Cristiano Ronaldo in the harbour of his hometown Funchal, Madeira

From 2010 until 2015, the FIFA player of the year award was merged with the Ballon d'Or and called the FIFA Ballon d'Or. Compare this list to the player of the year according to World Soccer magazine, and also the female player of the year.

Including the FIFA Ballon d'Or (years 2010-2015), Lionel Messi has won the award eight times, with Cristiano Ronaldo having won it five times.

The 2016 and 2017 winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year winner was Cristiano Ronaldo, who also won the Ballon d'Or for the same periods. In 2018 he failed to win the hat-trick, polling second behind Croatian Luka Modrić. In 2022, Messi won the award for the 7th time.

In 2023, Messi and Erling Haaland both scored 48 points, requiring a tiebreaker to decide the winner. Messi was the winner based on receiving more points from national captains.

year player nationality
2023 Lionel Messi Argentina
2022 Lionel Messi Argentina
2021 Robert Lewandowski Poland
2020 Robert Lewandowski Poland
2019 Lionel Messi Argentina
2018 Luka Modrić Croatia
2017 Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal
2016 Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal
2015 Lionel Messi Argentina
2014 Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal
2013 Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal
2012 Lionel Messi Argentina
2011 Lionel Messi Argentina
2010 Lionel Messi Argentina
2009 Lionel Messi Argentina
2008 Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal
2007 Kaká Brazil
2006 Fabio Cannavaro Italy
2005 Ronaldinho Brazil
2004 Ronaldinho Brazil
2003 Zinedine Zidane France
2002 Ronaldo Brazil
2001 Luís Figo Portugal
2000 Zinedine Zidane France
1999 Rivaldo Brazil
1998 Zinedine Zidane France
1997 Ronaldo Brazil
1996 Ronaldo Brazil
1995 George Weah Liberia
1994 Romário Brazil
1993 Roberto Baggio Italy
1992 Marco van Basten Netherlands
1991 Lothar Matthäus Germany


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Football (some call it soccer) is the world's most popular sport. There are many major football tournaments, the pinnacle is the FIFA World Cup. See a calendar of what is coming up. There have been many legends of the game, particularly winners of the Ballon d'Or. For players, there are articles about Football Fitness and Fitness Testing.

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