Saturday, February 6, 2010

FIFA World Player of the Year

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FIFA World Player of the Year

The FIFA World Player of the Year is an association football award given annually to the male and female player who are thought to be the best in the world, based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams. In a voting system based on positional voting, 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 male award has been criticized for focusing mainly on players from the UEFA Champions League and largely ignoring players from the South American Copa Libertadores, which has produced more world club champions than Europe. The international leagues of the remaining confederations are also completely ignored.

The award started in 1991 for men and 2001 for women. Since the award's inception, European-based Brazilian players have dominated the male awards, having won 8 out of 18 editions of the prize, far ahead of the top second country France, which has won it 3 times.

The award's youngest winner, male or female, is Ronaldo, who won at the age of 20 in 1996. He won it again in 1997 and 2002. Marta is the only player to win it four times in a row, Birgit Prinz won three times in a row, while Lucas Raposo, Ronaldinho, and Mia Hamm have won twice in a row. Marta is the only four-time winner, and Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Prinz and Marta are the only three-time winners. The oldest winner is Fabio Cannavaro who won in 2006 at age 33. The oldest female winner is Hamm, who won in 2002 at age 30, and the youngest female winner is Marta, who won in 2006 at age 20 (seven months older than Ronaldo in 1996).


Nomination and selection process

Following criticism from some sections of the media over some 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.[1]

Another criticism brought up against the men's nominations is that no player in activity outside of Europe has ever been nominated for the award. Juan Román Riquelme is the only player nominated for the annual award who played for a team outside Europe within the year, on loan to Boca Juniors from Villarreal for the first half of 2007. 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 also been suggested that players active in the leagues of other top non-European nations (such as the Argentine, the Brazilian, or the Mexican Leagues), are generally overlooked for the award. Brazilian club teams won the first three editions of the FIFA Club World Cup, yet not one player from those teams was nominated for the men's world player of the year award, whereas the European champions that the Brazilian club teams beat in the last two finals had more than a few players nominated for the award.

Winners

List of male winners

Year Rank Player Nationality Club
1991
Details
1st Lothar Matthäus West Germany Italy Interternazionale
2nd Jean-Pierre Papin France France Marseille
3rd Gary Lineker England England Tottenham Hotspur
1992
Details
1st Marco van Basten Netherlands Italy Milan
2nd Hristo Stoichkov Bulgaria Spain Barcelona
3rd Thomas Häßler Germany Italy AS Roma
1993
Details
1st Roberto Baggio Italy Italy Juventus
2nd Romário Brazil Spain Barcelona
Netherlands PSV Eindhoven
3rd Dennis Bergkamp Netherlands Italy Internazionale
Netherlands Ajax
1994
Details
1st Romário Brazil Spain Barcelona
2nd Hristo Stoichkov Bulgaria Spain Barcelona
3rd Roberto Baggio Italy Italy Juventus
1995
Details
1st George Weah Liberia Italy Milan
France Paris Saint-Germain
2nd Paolo Maldini Italy Italy Milan
3rd Jürgen Klinsmann Germany Germany Bayern Munich
England Tottenham Hotspur
1996
Details
1st Ronaldo Brazil Spain Barcelona
Netherlands PSV Eindhoven
2nd George Weah Liberia Italy Milan
3rd Alan Shearer England England Newcastle United
England Blackburn Rovers
1997
Details
1st Ronaldo Brazil Italy Internazionale
Spain Barcelona
2nd Roberto Carlos Brazil Spain Real Madrid
3rd
(tie)
Dennis Bergkamp Netherlands England Arsenal
Zinedine Zidane France Italy Juventus
1998
Details
1st Zinedine Zidane France Italy Juventus
2nd Ronaldo Brazil Italy Internazionale
3rd Davor Šuker Croatia Spain Real Madrid
1999
Details
1st Rivaldo Brazil Spain Barcelona
2nd David Beckham England England Manchester United
3rd Gabriel Batistuta Argentina Italy Fiorentina
2000
Details
1st Zinedine Zidane France Italy Juventus
2nd Luís Figo Portugal Spain Real Madrid
Spain Barcelona
3rd Rivaldo Brazil Spain Barcelona
2001
Details
1st Luís Figo Portugal Spain Real Madrid
2nd David Beckham England England Manchester United
3rd Raul Gonzalez Blanco Spain Spain Real Madrid
2002
Details
1st Ronaldo Brazil Spain Real Madrid
Italy Internazionale
2nd Oliver Kahn Germany Germany Bayern Munich
3rd Zinedine Zidane France Spain Real Madrid
2003
Details
1st Zinedine Zidane France Spain Real Madrid
2nd Thierry Henry France England Arsenal
3rd Ronaldo Brazil Spain Real Madrid
2004
Details
1st Ronaldinho Brazil Spain Barcelona
2nd Thierry Henry France England Arsenal
3rd Andriy Shevchenko Ukraine Italy Milan
2005
Details
1st Ronaldinho Brazil Spain Barcelona
2nd Frank Lampard England England Chelsea
3rd Samuel Eto'o Cameroon Spain Barcelona
2006
Details
1st Fabio Cannavaro Italy Spain Real Madrid
Italy Juventus
2nd Zinedine Zidane France Spain Real Madrid
3rd Ronaldinho Brazil Spain Barcelona
2007
Details
1st Kaká Brazil Italy Milan
2nd Lionel Messi Argentina Spain Barcelona
3rd Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal England Manchester United
2008
Details
1st Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal England Manchester United
2nd Lionel Messi Argentina Spain Barcelona
3rd Fernando Torres Spain England Liverpool
2009
Details
1st Lionel Messi Argentina Spain Barcelona
2nd Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal Spain Real Madrid
England Manchester United
3rd Xavi Spain Spain Barcelona

Wins by country

Table of winners categorised by the player's nationality (not the nationality of his club).


Country First place Second place Third place
1 Brazil 8 (1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007) 3 (1993, 1997, 1998) 3 (2000, 2003, 2006)
2 France 3 (1998, 2000, 2003) 4 (1991, 2003, 2004, 2006) 2 (1997*, 2002)
3 Portugal 2 (2001, 2008) 2 (2000, 2009) 1 (2007)
4 Italy 2 (1993, 2006) 1 (1995) 1 (1994)
5 Argentina 1 (2009) 2 (2007, 2008) 1 (1999)
6 Germany 1 (1991) 1 (2002) 2 (1992, 1995)
7 Liberia 1 (1995) 1 (1996) 0
8 Netherlands 1 (1992) 0 2 (1993, 1997*)
9 England 0 3 (1999, 2001, 2005) 2 (1991, 1996)
10 Bulgaria 0 2 (1992, 1994) 0
11 Spain 0 0 3 (2001, 2008, 2009)
12 Croatia 0 0 1 (1998)
12 Ukraine 0 0 1 (2004)
12 Cameroon 0 0 1 (2005)

* There was a tie for that place

Wins by club


Club First place Second place Third place
1 Spain Barcelona 7 (1994, 1996, 1997**, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2009) 6 (1992, 1993*, 1994, 2000**, 2007, 2008) 4 (2000, 2005, 2006, 2009)
2 Spain Real Madrid 4 (2001, 2002*, 2003, 2006*) 4 (1997, 2000*, 2006***, 2009*) 4 (1998, 2001, 2002, 2003)
3 Italy Juventus 4 (1993, 1998, 2000, 2006**) 0 2 (1994, 1997)
4 Italy Milan 3 (1992, 1995*, 2007) 2 (1995, 1996) 1 (2004)
5 Italy Internazionale 3 (1991, 1997*, 2002**) 1 (1998) 1 (1993*)
6 England Manchester United 1 (2008) 2 (1999, 2001, 2009**) 1 (2007)
7 Netherlands PSV Eindhoven 1 (1996**) 1 (1993**) 0
8 France Paris Saint-Germain 1 (1995**) 0 0
9 England Arsenal 0 2 (2003, 2004) 1 (1997)
10 Germany Bayern Munich 0 1 (2002) 1 (1995*)
11 France Marseille 0 1 (1991) 0
11 England Chelsea 0 1 (2005) 0
13 England Tottenham Hotspur 0 0 2 (1991, 1995**)
14 Italy Roma 0 0 1 (1992)
14 Netherlands Ajax 0 0 1 (1993**)
14 England Blackburn Rovers 0 0 1 (1996**)
14 England Newcastle United 0 0 1 (1996*)
14 Italy Fiorentina 0 0 1 (1999)
14 England Liverpool 0 0 1 (2008)

*Player was a member of the club for the second half of the calendar year (The first part of a new season - August to December)
**Player was a member of the club for the first half of the calendar year (The second part of a finished season - January to May)
***Player retired half way through the calendar year so was a member of the club only for the first half of the calendar year (The second part of a finished season - January to May)

List of female winners

Year Place Player Nationality Club
2001
Details
1st Mia Hamm United States United States Washington Freedom
2nd Tiffeny Milbrett United States United States New York Power
3rd Sun Wen China PR United States Atlanta Beat
2002
Details
1st Mia Hamm United States United States Washington Freedom
2nd Birgit Prinz Germany Germany 1. FFC Frankfurt
3rd Sun Wen China PR United States Atlanta Beat
2003
Details
1st Birgit Prinz Germany Germany 1. FFC Frankfurt
2nd Mia Hamm United States United States Washington Freedom
3rd Hanna Ljungberg Sweden Sweden Umeå IK
2004
Details
1st Birgit Prinz Germany Germany 1. FFC Frankfurt
2nd Mia Hamm United States United States W. Freedom retired
3rd Marta Brazil Sweden Umeå IK
2005
Details
1st Birgit Prinz Germany Germany 1. FFC Frankfurt
2nd Marta Brazil Sweden Umeå IK
3rd Shannon Boxx United States
2006
Details
1st Marta Brazil Sweden Umeå IK
2nd Kristine Lilly United States Sweden KIF Örebro DFF
3rd Renate Lingor Germany Germany 1. FFC Frankfurt
2007
Details
1st Marta Brazil Sweden Umeå IK
2nd Birgit Prinz Germany Germany 1. FFC Frankfurt
3rd Cristiane Brazil Germany VfL Wolfsburg
2008
Details
1st Marta Brazil Sweden Umeå IK
2nd Birgit Prinz Germany Germany Frankfurt
3rd Cristiane Brazil Sweden Linköpings/Brazil Corinthians
2009
Details
1st Marta Brazil United States Los Angeles Sol/Brazil Santos
2nd Birgit Prinz Germany Germany Frankfurt
3rd Kelly Smith England United States Boston Breakers

Players' all-time ranking by places (top 3)


Player First place Second place Third place
1 Brazil Marta 4 1 1
2 Germany Birgit Prinz 3 4 0
3 United States Mia Hamm 2 2 0
4 United States Tiffeny Milbrett 0 1 0

United States Kristine Lilly 0 1 0
6 People's Republic of China Sun Wen 0 0 2

Brazil Cristiane 0 0 2
8 Sweden Hanna Ljungberg 0 0 1

United States Shannon Boxx 0 0 1

Germany Renate Lingor 0 0 1

England Kelly Smith 0 0 1

Wins by country

Table of winners categorised by the player's nationality (not the nationality of her club).


Country First place Second place Third place
1 Brazil 4 (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009) 1 (2005) 3 (2004, 2007, 2008)
2 Germany 3 (2003, 2004, 2005) 4 (2002, 2007, 2008, 2009) 1 (2006)
3 United States 2 (2001, 2002) 4 (2001, 2003, 2004, 2006) 1 (2005)
4 China PR 0 0 2 (2001, 2002)
5 Sweden 0 0 1 (2003)

England 0 0 1 (2009)

Wins by club


Club First place Second place Third place
1 Germany 1. FFC Frankfurt 3 (2003, 2004, 2005) 4 (2002, 2007), 2008, 2009) 1 (2006)
2 Sweden Umeå IK 3 (2006, 2007, 2008) 1 (2005) 2 (2003, 2004)
3 United States Washington Freedom 2 (2001, 2002) 2 (2003, 2004) 0
4 United States Los Angeles Sol 1 (2009) 0 0

Brazil Santos 1 (2009) 0 0
5 Sweden KIF Örebro DFF 0 1 (2006) 0

United States New York Power 0 1 (2001) 0
7 United States Atlanta Beat 0 0 2 (2001, 2002)
8 Germany VfL Wolfsburg 0 0 1 (2007)

Sweden Linköpings 0 0 1 (2008)

Brazil Corinthians 0 0 1 (2008)

United States Boston Breakers 0 0 1 (2009)


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