FIFA Player of the Year; Printable List of the Winners
The FIFA Player of the Year award is earned by the best football (soccer) player in the World each year. We have the printable list of the winners for you since 1991 in image and PDF format. The award was combined with the Ballon d’Or award from 2010-2015, but is a separate award now.
How is the FIFA Player of the Year Selected?
FIFA produces a list of the top 35 players each year. Then, from this list team captains, select journalists, and national team managers vote for the winner for the men. FIFA then announces the winner from these votes. When it’s a World Cup year, you will typically see the player who wins play for one of the stronger teams in that tournament as well. Since the number of teams is limited in Olympic play, those games have less of an impact on a player being picked for player of the year.
Who has Won the FIFA Player of the Year Award the Most?
Not a shocker here. Lionel Messi has won the FIFA Player of the Year award eight times. This includes the years that it was merged with the FIFA Ballon d’Or. Cristiano Ronaldo has won the award the next most times (five times). Ronaldo won both the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA player of the year award in 2016 and 2017.
FIFA Player of the Year – List of the Winners
| 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 |
Printable List of the FIFA Player of the Year Winners
In my experience, having a printable list of award winners makes it easier for me to take notes and follow who is up for the award this year. The same is true for the FIFA player of the year. The full, printable list is up in PDF format for you here. You can download and use the list as you prefer.
FIFA Player of the Year Highlights
Here’s a summary of all of the FIFA players of the year through 2022 for you in video format.
