FIFA The Best Men's Player of the Year award: From Messi to Vinicius Jr., full list of winners from 1991 to 2024

The winners of the 2024 FIFA The Best Players of the Year awards were announced during a grand ceremony in Doha on Tuesday. Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior won the men's Player of the Year award whereas Barcelona's Aitana Bonmati won the women's Player of the Year award . While Vinicius became the first Brazilian to win the rechristened FIFA The Best men’s Player of the Year award, Aitana Bonmati retained the women’s Player of the Year award after having won in 2023 as well.

The FIFA World Player of the Year award was first introduced in 1991 for the men and 2001 for the women. The men’s awards were handed out till 2009, and from 2010 to 2015, the award was merged into the Ballon d’Or award to make it FIFA Ballon d’Or award, which is presented by French magazine France Football.

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However, that partnership ended in 2016 and FIFA introduced a separate award called FIFA The Best Player of the Year award. The women’s player of the year award was handed out from 2001 to 2015, and from 2016, FIFA introduced a category called FIFA The Best Women’s Player of the Year award, alongside the men’s award.

Lionel Messi has won FIFA’s The Best Men’s Player of the Year award thrice, whereas Cristiano Ronaldo has won it twice. Spain’s Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati have won the women’s award twice each. We now take a look at the full list of winners for men and women’s Player of the Year awards over the years.

FIFA The Best Men’s Player of the Year Award winners (Most recent first, Year, player, country, club)

2024: Vinicius Junior (Brazil/Real Madrid)

2023: Lionel Messi (Argentina/PSG and Inter Miami)

2022: Lionel Messi (Argentina/PSG)

2021: Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich)

2020: Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich)

2019: Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barcelona)

2018: Luka Modric (Croatia/Real Madrid)

2017: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Real Madrid)

2016: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Real Madrid)

FIFA Men’s Ballon d’Or winners

2015: Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barcelona)

2014: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Real Madrid)

2013: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Real Madrid)

2012: Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barcelona)

2011: Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barcelona)

2010: Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barcelona)

FIFA World Player of the Year award winners

2009: Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barcelona)

2008: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Manchester United)

2007: Kaka (Brazil/Inter Milan)

2006: Fabio Cannavoro (Italy/Real Madrid)

2005: Ronaldinho (Brazil/Barcelona)

2004: Ronaldinho (Brazil/Barcelona)

2003: Zinedine Zidane (France/Real Madrid)

2002: Ronaldo (Brazil/Real Madrid)

2001: Luis Figo (Portugal/Real Madrid)

2000: Zinedine Zidane: (France/Juventus)

1999: Rivaldo (Brazil/Barcelona)

1998: Zinedine Zidane (France/Juventus)

1997: Ronaldo (Brazil/Inter Milan)

1996: Ronaldo (Brazil/Barcelona)

1995: George Weah (USA/AC Milan)

1994: Romario (Brazil/Barcelona)

1993: Roberto Baggio (Italy/Juventus)

1992: Marco van Basten (Netherlands/AC Milan)

1991: Lothar Matthaus (Germany/Inter Milan)

FIFA The Best Women’s Player of the Year Award winners (Most recent first, Year, player, country, club)

2024: Aitana Bonmati (Spain/Barcelona)

2023: Aitana Bonmati (Spain/Barcelona)

2022: Alexia Putellas (Spain/Barcelona)

2021: Alexia Putellas (Spain/Barcelona)

2020: Lucy Bronze (England/Manchester City)

2019: Megan Rapinoe (USA/Reign FC)

2018: Marta (Brazil/Orlando Pride)

2017: Lieke Martens (Netherlands/Barcelona)

2016: Carli Lloyd (USA/Houston Dash)

FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year award winners

2015: Carli Lloyd (USA/Houston Dash)

2014: Nadine Kessler (Germany/Vfl Wolfsburg)

2013: Nadine Angerer (Germany/Brisbane Roar)

2012: Abby Wambach (USA)

2011: Homare Sawa (Japan/INAC Kobe Leonessa)

2010: Marta (Brazil/FC Gold Pride)

2009: Marta (Brazil/Santos)

2008: Marta (Brazil/Umea IK)

2007: Marta (Brazil/Umea IK)

2006: Marta (Brazil/Umea IK)

2005: Birgit Prinz (Germany/FFC Frankfurt)

2004: Birgit Prinz (Germany/FFC Frankfurt)

2003: Birgit Prinz (Germany/ Carolina Courage and FFC Frankfurt)

2002: Mia Hamm (USA/Washington Freedom)

2001: Mia Hamm (USA/Washington Freedom)