FIFA World Player of the Year
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The FIFA World Player of the Year is a football award given annually to the male and female player who is thought to be the best in the world, based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams. In a voting system based on a type of a Borda count, each coach gets three votes, worth five points, three points and one point, and the winners are ordered based on total number of points. The award started in 1991 for men and 2001 for women.
The award's youngest winner is Ronaldo, who won at the age of 20 in 1996. He won it again in 1997 and along with Ronaldinho is the only player to have won twice in a row. Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane are the only three-time winners.
In women's football, Mia Hamm and Birgit Prinz have both won twice in a row. Prinz the only one to have won three consecutively.
Nomination and Selection Process
Following criticism from some sections of the media over questionable nominations in previous years, in 2004 FIFA drew up a shortlist of 35 men and 21 women from which national team managers and, for the first time, team captains and representatives from FIFPro (the worldwide representative organization for professional players) could vote [link].
Another criticism brought up against the nominations is that, in the men's award, no player in activity outside of Europe has ever been nominated for the award. Although players from several nationalities, of three continents, have been nominated and won the award, they were all playing for European clubs at the time of their nomination or victory. It has been suggested that players active even in the more prestigious Leagues in Latin America (such as the Argentine, the Brazilian or the Mexican Leagues), are generally overlooked for the award. Others have noted that because of the money involved almost all of the world's best players play in European leagues by the time they mature as players.
La Liga players have won the award 5 years running.
Winners
List of male winners
List of female winners
| Year | Place | Player | Nationality | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Details | 1st | Birgit Prinz | '''
Germany''' | Striker |
| 2nd | Marta |
Brazil | Midfield | |
| 3rd | Shannon Boxx |
USA | Midfield | |
| 2004 Details | 1st | Birgit Prinz | '''
Germany''' | Striker |
| 2nd | Mia Hamm |
USA | Striker | |
| 3rd | Marta |
Brazil | Midfield | |
| 2003 Details | 1st | Birgit Prinz | '''
Germany''' | Striker |
| 2nd | Mia Hamm |
USA | Striker | |
| 3rd | Hanna Ljungberg |
Sweden | Striker | |
| 2002 Details | 1st | Mia Hamm | '''
USA''' | Striker |
| 2nd | Birgit Prinz |
Germany | Striker | |
| 3rd | Sun Wen |
China PR | Striker | |
| 2001 Details | 1st | Mia Hamm | '''
USA''' | Striker |
| 2nd | Tiffeny Milbrett |
USA | Striker | |
| 3rd | Sun Wen |
China PR | Striker |
|- !style="background:#BFD7FF;"|
|- style="text-align:center; font-size:90%;" | FIFA | World Cup | Confederations Cup | World Rankings | Player of the Year | Teams
|- style="text-align:left; font-size:90%;" |
- Asia: AFC – Asian Cup
- Africa: CAF – African Cup of Nations
- North America: CONCACAF – Gold Cup
- South America: CONMEBOL – Copa América
- Oceania: OFC – Nations Cup
- Europe: UEFA – European Championship
|- !style="background:#BFD7FF;"|
|- style="text-align:center; font-size:90%;" | FIFA | Club World Cup | Intercontinental Cup (defunct) | CWC/IC statistics | Player of the Year | Teams
|- style="text-align:left; font-size:90%;" |
- Asia: AFC – Champions League
- Africa: CAF – Champions League
- North America: CONCACAF – Champions' Cup
- South America: CONMEBOL – Copa Libertadores
- Oceania: OFC – Club Championship – Champions League
- Europe: UEFA – Champions League
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