FIFA Player of the Year

Winners of the FIFA player of the year award (merged with the magazine France Football's Golden Ball award for European player of the year from 2010-15):

2023 — Lionel Messi, Argentina

2022 — Lionel Messi, Argentina

2021 — Robert Lewandowski, Poland

2020 — Robert Lewandowski, Poland

2019 — Lionel Messi, Argentina

2018 — Luka Modric, 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 — Kaka, Brazil

2006 — Fabio Cannavaro, Italy

2005 — Ronaldinho, Brazil

2004 — Ronaldinho, Brazil

2003 — Zinedine Zidane, France

2002 — Ronaldo, Brazil

2001 — Luis Figo, Portugal

2000 — Zinedine Zidane, France

1999 — Rivaldo, Brazil

1998 — Zinedine Zidane, France

1997 — Ronaldo, Brazil

1996 — Ronaldo, Brazil

1995 — George Weah, Liberia

1994 — Romario, Brazil

1993 — Roberto Baggio, Italy

1992 — Marco Van Basten, Netherlands

1991 — Lothar Matthaus, Germany