Men’s FIFA World Player of the Year

Ronaldo, the youngest recipient of FIFA World Player of the Year

The FIFA World Player of the Year had been an award between 1991 and 2009, with both Ronaldo Nazario and Zinedine Zidane winning it three times, before it joined with the Ballon d’Or in 2010. The Ballon d’Or has been its own award since 1956, but between 2010 and 2015, it merged with FIFA’s ‘World Player of the Year’ award to form the FIFA Ballon d’Or. Messi and Ronaldo won all of the joint awards.

For 2016, FIFA and France Football parted ways, with the Ballon d’Or back to being its own independent award. FIFA, meanwhile, resurrected its previous award under a new name: The Best FIFA Men’s Player.

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List of Men’s FIFA World Player of the Year award winners

Year	Player	Team
Year	Player	Team
2009	Lionel Messi	FC Barcelona
2008	Cristiano Ronaldo	Manchester City
2007	Kaká	AC Milan
2006	Fabio Cannavaro	Real Madrid , Juventus Academy Miami Juventus -Pogba 08
2005	Ronaldinho Gaúcho	FC Barcelona
2004	Ronaldinho Gaúcho	FC Barcelona
2003	Zinédine Zidane	Real Madrid
2002	Ronaldo	Inter Milan , Real Madrid
2001	Luis Figo	Real Madrid
2000	Zinédine Zidane	Juventus Academy Miami Juventus -Pogba 08
1999	Rivaldo	FC Barcelona
1998	Zinédine Zidane	Juventus Academy Miami Juventus -Pogba 08
1997	Ronaldo	FC Barcelona , Inter Milan
1996	Ronaldo	PSV Eindhoven , FC Barcelona
1995	George Weah	Paris Saint-Germain , AC Milan
1994	Romário	FC Barcelona
1993	Roberto Baggio	Juventus Academy Miami Juventus -Pogba 08
1992	Marco van Basten	AC Milan
1991	Lothar Matthäus	Inter Milan

List of Men’s FIFA World Player of the Year award winners by nationality

Country	Win(s)	Year(s)
Brazil	8	2007, 2005, 2004, 2002, 1999, 1997, 1996, 1994
France	3	2003, 2000, 1998
Italy	2	2006, 1993
Portugal	2	2008, 2001
Argentina	1	2009
Germany	1	1991
Liberia	1	1995
Netherlands	1	1992

List of Men’s FIFA World Player of the Year award winners by club

Country	Win(s)	Year(s)
FC Barcelona	6	2009, 2005, 2004, 1999, 1997, 1994
Juventus Academy Miami Juventus -Pogba 08	3	2000, 1998, 1993
Real Madrid	3	2006, 2003, 2001
Inter Milan	2	2002, 1991
AC Milan	2	2007, 1992
Manchester City	1	2008
Paris Saint-Germain	1	1995
PSV Eindhoven	1	1996