Topend Sports

Football Player's of the Year

There are three awards given annually for the best male football player of the year, as voted by different bodies, FIFA, France Football and World Soccer. Here is a comparison of three awards for it.

Only the winners of the awards since 1991 are shown, as this is when the FIFA award was first given. Since all these awards have been given, 17 times (out of 26) the same player has won all three awards.



From 2007 to 2009, the Ballon d'Or award was open to all world players, and the winners were the same as both of these awards. From 1995 until 2006, non-European players were eligible for the award if they played for a European club, and prior to 1995 only European players were eligible.

From 2005 until 2008, FIFPro also awarded the World Player of the Year before merging with the FIFA Ballon d'Or. Over this time period, the winners were the same as both of the FIFA and World Soccer awards.

year Ballon d'Or FIFA Award World Soccer Award same?
2022 Karim Benzemais      
2021 Lionel Messi Robert Lewandowski Robert Lewandowski  
2020 not awarded Robert Lewandowski Robert Lewandowski Y
2019 Lionel Messi Lionel Messi Lionel Messi Y
2018 Luka Modric Luka Modrić Luka Modrić Y
2017 Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo Y
2016 Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo Y
2015 Lionel Messi Lionel Messi Y
2014 Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo Y
2013 Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo Y
2012 Lionel Messi Lionel Messi Y
2011 Lionel Messi Lionel Messi Y
2010 Lionel Messi Xavi Hernandez
2009 Lionel Messi Lionel Messi Lionel Messi Y
2008 Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo Y
2007 Kaká Kaká Kaká Y
2006 Fabio Cannavaro Fabio Cannavaro Fabio Cannavaro Y
2005 Ronaldinho Ronaldinho Ronaldinho Y
2004 Andriy Shevchenko Ronaldinho Ronaldinho  
2003 Pavel Nedvěd Zinedine Zidane Pavel Nedvěd
2002 Ronaldo Ronaldo Ronaldo Y
2001 Michael Owen Luís Figo Michael Owen
2000 Luís Figo Zinedine Zidane Luís Figo
1999 Rivaldo Rivaldo Rivaldo Y
1998 Zinedine Zidane Zinedine Zidane Zinedine Zidane Y
1997 Ronaldo Ronaldo Ronaldo Y
1996 Matthias Sammer Ronaldo Ronaldo  
1995 George Weah George Weah Gianluca Vialli
1994 Hristo Stoichkov Romário Paolo Maldini
1993 Roberto Baggio Roberto Baggio Roberto Baggio Y
1992 Marco van Basten Marco van Basten Marco van Basten Y
1991 Jean-Pierre Papin Lothar Matthäus Jean-Pierre Papin


Related Pages

send us a comment Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.

Sport Extra

Check out the 800+ sports in the Encyclopedia of Every Sport. Well not every sport, as there is a list of unusual sports, extinct sports and newly created sports. How to get on these lists? See What is a sport? We also have sports winners lists, and about major sports events and a summary of every year.

 → How to Cite