World Player of the Year
From Football Legends
| | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year | Winner | Nation | Club | notes |
| 1908-1955 | ||||
- 1956 Stanley Matthews (Blackpool)
- 1957 Alfredo Di Stéfano (Real Madrid)
- 1958 Pelé (Santos)
- 1959 Pelé (Santos)
- 1960 Pelé (Santos)
- 1961 Pelé (Santos)
- 1962 Garrincha (Botafogo)
- 1963 Pelé (Santos)
- 1964 Pelé (Santos)
- 1965 Eusébio (Benfica)
- 1966 Bobby Charlton (Manchester United)
- 1967 Flórián Albert (Ferencváros)
- 1968 George Best (Manchester United)
- 1969 Gianni Rivera (A.C. Milan)
- 1970 Pelé (Santos)
- 1971 Johan Cruyff (Ajax)
- 1972 Franz Beckenbauer (Bayern)
- 1973 Johan Cruyff (Barcelona)
- 1974 Johan Cruyff (Barcelona)
- 1975 Oleg Blojín (Dynamo Kiev)
- 1976 Franz Beckenbauer (Bayern)
- 1977 Allan Simonsen (Borussia Mönchengladbach)
- 1978 Mario Kempes (Valencia)
| | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year | Winner | Nation | Club | notes |
| 1979 | Diego Maradona |  Argentina |
Argentinos Juniors | World Player of the Year by Guerin Sportivo magazine |
| 1980 | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | Template:GER | Bayern Munich | World Player of the Year by Guerin Sportivo magazine |
| 1981 | Zico | Template:BRA | Flamengo | World Player of the Year by Guerin Sportivo magazine |
| | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year | Winner | Nation | Club | notes |
| 1982 | Paolo Rossi | Template:ITA | Juventus |  World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 1983 | Zico Falcão BRA Roma | Template:BRA | Udinese | World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 1984 | Michel Platini | Template:FRA | Juventus | World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 1985 | Michel Platini | Template:FRA | Juventus | World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 1986 | Diego Maradona | Argentina |
Napoli | World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 1987 | Ruud Gullit Diego Maradona ARG Napoli | Template:NED | AC Milan | World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 1988 | Marco van Basten | Template:NED | AC Milan | World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 1989 | Ruud Gullit | Template:NED | AC Milan | World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 1990 | Lothar Matthäus | Template:GER | Inter Milan | World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year | Winner | Nation | Club | notes |
| 1991 | Lothar Matthäus | Template:GER | Inter Milan |  FIFA World Player of the Year
|
| Jean-Pierre Papin | Template:FRA | Marseille | World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
| |
| 1992 | Marco van Basten | Template:NED | Milan | FIFA World Player of the Year & World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 1993 | Roberto Baggio | Template:ITA | Juventus | FIFA World Player of the Year & World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 1994 | Romário | Template:BRA | Barcelona | FIFA World Player of the Year
|
| Paolo Maldini | Template:ITA | Milan | World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
| |
| 1995 | George Weah | Template:LIB | Milan | FIFA World Player of the Year|
|
| Gianluca Vialli | Template:ITA | Juventus | World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
| |
| 1996 | Ronaldo | Template:BRA | Barcelona | FIFA World Player of the Year & World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 1997 | Ronaldo | Template:BRA | Barcelona & Inter Milan | FIFA World Player of the Year & World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 1998 | Zinedine Zidane | Template:FRA | Juventus | FIFA World Player of the Year & World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 1999 | Rivaldo | Template:BRA | Barcelona | FIFA World Player of the Year & World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 2000 | Zinedine Zidane | Template:FRA | Juventus | FIFA World Player of the Year
|
| Luís Figo |  Portugal |
Barcelona & Real Madrid | World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
| |
| 2001 | Luís Figo | Portugal |
Real Madrid | FIFA World Player of the Year
|
| Michael Owen | Template:ENG | Liverpool | World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
| |
| 2002 | Ronaldo | Template:BRA | Inter Milan & Real Madrid | FIFA World Player of the Year & World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 2003 | Zinedine Zidane | Template:FRA | Real Madrid | FIFA World Player of the Year
|
| Pavel Nedvěd | Template:RCZE | Juventus | World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
| |
| 2004 | Ronaldinho | Template:BRA | Barcelona | FIFA World Player of the Year & World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 2005 | Ronaldinho | Template:BRA | Barcelona | FIFA World Player of the Year & World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 2006 | Fabio Cannavaro | Template:ITA | Juventus & Real Madrid | FIFA World Player of the Year & World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 2007 | Kaká | Template:BRA | Milan | FIFA World Player of the Year & World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 2008 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal |
Manchester United | FIFA World Player of the Year & World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 2009 | Lionel Messi | Argentina |
Barcelona | FIFA World Player of the Year & World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 2010 | Lionel Messi | Argentina |
Barcelona |  FIFA Ballon d'Or
|
| Xavi | Template:SPA | Barcelona | World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
| |
| 2011 | Lionel Messi | Argentina |
Barcelona | FIFA Ballon d'Or & World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 2012 | Lionel Messi | Argentina |
Barcelona | FIFA Ballon d'Or & World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 2013 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal |
Real Madrid | FIFA Ballon d'Or & World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 2014 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal |
Real Madrid | FIFA Ballon d'Or & World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 2015 | Lionel Messi | Argentina |
Barcelona |  The Best FIFA Men's Player & World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 2016 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal |
Real Madrid | The Best FIFA Men's Player & World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 2017 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal |
Real Madrid | The Best FIFA Men's Player & World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 2018 | Luka Modrić | Template:CRO | Real Madrid | The Best FIFA Men's Player & World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 2019 | Lionel Messi | Argentina |
Barcelona | The Best FIFA Men's Player & World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 2020 | Robert Lewandowski | Template:POL | Bayern | The Best FIFA Men's Player & World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 2021 | Robert Lewandowski | Template:POL | Bayern | The Best FIFA Men's Player & World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 2022 | Lionel Messi | Argentina |
Barcelona | The Best FIFA Men's Player & World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 2023 | Lionel Messi Erling Haaland (NOR) Manchester City | Argentina |
Barcelona | The Best FIFA Men's Player & World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
| 2024 | Vinícius Jr. Rodri ESP Manchester City | Template:BRA | Real Madrid | The Best FIFA Men's Player & World Player of the Year by World Soccer magazine
|
