The IFFHS World's Best Player is a football award given annually from 1988 to 1990, and since 2020, to the world's best player. The award is given by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS).
Men's winners List of winners
From 1991 until 2009, FIFA continued this distinction named "FIFA World Player of the Year"; this award was later replaced by the FIFA Ballon d'Or in 2010, and The Best FIFA Men's Player in 2016. YearRankWinnerClub(s)Points19881st Marco van Basten Milan1012nd Diego Maradona Napoli923rd Ruud Gullit Milan7119891st Marco van Basten Milan1322nd Franco Baresi Milan623rd Ruud Gullit Milan5719901st Lothar Matthäus Inter Milan1742nd Salvatore Schillaci Juventus563rd Franco Baresi AC Milan52 Paul Gascoigne Tottenham Hotspur20201st Robert Lewandowski Bayern Munich95%20211st Robert Lewandowski Bayern Munich1502nd Lionel Messi Barcelona Paris Saint-Germain1053rd Jorginho Chelsea4020221st Lionel Messi Paris Saint-Germain2752nd Kylian Mbappé Paris Saint-Germain353rd Karim Benzema Real Madrid3020231st Erling Haaland Manchester City2082nd Kylian Mbappé Paris Saint-Germain1053rd Lionel Messi Paris Saint-Germain Inter Miami8520241st Rodri Manchester City1912nd Vinícius Júnior Real Madrid1663rd Jude Bellingham Real Madrid6220251st Ousmane Dembélé Paris Saint-Germain1532nd Lamine Yamal Barcelona973rd Harry Kane Bayern Munich62
Statistics +Winners (1988–present)PlayerWinsYears Marco van Basten21988, 1989 Robert Lewandowski2020, 2021 Lothar Matthäus11990 Lionel Messi12022 Erling Haaland12023 Rodri12024 Ousmane Dembélé12025 +Wins by clubClubTotalPlayers Manchester City22 Paris Saint-Germain22 Milan21 Bayern Munich21 Inter Milan11 +Wins by nationalityNationalityTotalPlayers21211111111111
Continental winners Bold indicates the World's Best Man Player winner. YearConfederationWinnerClub(s)2020UEFA Robert Lewandowski Bayern MunichCONMEBOL Lionel Messi BarcelonaCONCACAF Alphonso Davies Bayern MunichCAF Sadio Mané LiverpoolAFC Son Heung-min Tottenham HotspurOFC Chris Wood Burnley2021UEFA Robert Lewandowski Bayern MunichCONMEBOL Lionel Messi Barcelona Paris Saint-GermainCONCACAF Alphonso Davies Bayern MunichCAF Mohamed Salah LiverpoolAFC Son Heung-min Tottenham HotspurOFC Chris Wood Burnley2022UEFA Kylian Mbappé Paris Saint-GermainCONMEBOL Lionel Messi Paris Saint-GermainCONCACAF Alphonso Davies Bayern MunichCAF Sadio Mané Liverpool Bayern MunichAFC Son Heung-min Tottenham HotspurOFC Chris Wood Burnley Newcastle United
Men's Historical All-time World Best Players
+Top 10 playersRankPlayerNationality1Lionel Messi2Pelé3Diego Maradona4Cristiano Ronaldo5Johan Cruyff6Ronaldo7Zinedine Zidane8Franz Beckenbauer9Alfredo Di Stéfano10Ronaldinho
The World's Best Man Player of the 19th Century (until 1900) In November 2021 IFFHS announced the Dream Team of the 19th Century and the top 3 players.
+Top 3 playersRankPlayerNationality1 Gilbert Oswald Smith2John Goodall3Steve Bloomer
The World's Best Player of the 20th Century (1901–2000)
+Top 10 playersRankPlayerNationalityPoints1Pelé17052Johan Cruyff13033Franz Beckenbauer12284Alfredo Di Stéfano12155Diego Maradona12146Ferenc Puskás8107Michel Platini7228Garrincha6249Eusébio54410Bobby Charlton508
The Best Man Player of the Decade (2011–2020) ConfederationFirstSecondThirdWorld Lionel Messi Cristiano Ronaldo Andrés IniestaUEFA Cristiano Ronaldo Sergio Ramos Manuel NeuerCONMEBOL Lionel Messi Neymar Dani AlvesCONCACAF Keylor Navas Javier Hernández Clint DempseyCAF Mohamed Salah Sadio Mané Riyad MahrezAFC Son Heung-min Keisuke Honda Salem Al-DawsariOFC Chris Wood Winston Reid Marco Rojas
The Best European Player (1956–1990)
On 24 April 1990, before the 1990 FIFA World Cup, IFFHS gave out an award for the best European player taking into consideration players who were voted in the shortlist of the France Football's Ballon d'Or from 1956 until 1989. +Top 10 playersRankPlayerNationality 1 Franz Beckenbauer 2 Michel Platini 3Johan Cruyff 4 Eusébio 5 Gerd Müller 6 Karl-Heinz Rummenigge 7 Luis Suárez 8 Bobby Charlton 9Alfredo Di Stéfano 10 Raymond Kopa
Men Legends +Phase 1 (48 players)PlayerNationalityMajed AbdullahMohamed AboutrikaRoberto BaggioFranz BeckenbauerDavid BeckhamBhaichung BhutiaOleg BlokhinCha Bum-kunAntonio CarbajalBobby CharltonJosé Luis ChilavertTanju ÇolakJohan CruyffAli DaeiAlfredo Di StéfanoLandon DonovanMahmoud El KhatibEusébioLuís FigoGarrinchaPaco Gento Ryan GiggsRuud GullitHao HaidongSun JihaiNwankwo KanuRabah MadjerDiego MaradonaLothar MatthäusStanley MatthewsRoger MillaGerd MüllerHidetoshi NakataPeléMichel PlatiniFerenc PuskásLucas RadebeRonaldoWynton RuferHugo SánchezJuan Alberto SchiaffinoMarco van BastenGeorge WeahJasem YaqoubLev YashinZicoZinedine ZidaneDino Zoff+Phase 2 (48 players)PlayerNationalityFranco BaresiGabriel BatistutaDennis BergkampZbigniew BoniekRoberto CarlosPetr ČechKenny DalglishEdgar DavidsAlessandro Del PieroDidier DrogbaSamuel Eto'oEnzo FrancescoliGheorge HagiThierry HenryOliver KahnKakáKevin KeeganMario KempesMiroslav KloseRonald KoemanPhilipp LahmMichael LaudrupYounis MahmoudPaolo MaldiniRafael MárquezPavel NedvědMohammed NoorJay-Jay OkochaAbedi PeleJean-Marie PfaffAndrea PirloCarles PuyolRaúlFrank RijkaardRivaldoRomárioRonaldinhoPaolo RossiKarl-Heinz RummeniggePeter SchmeichelAndriy ShevchenkoHristo StoichkovDavor ŠukerFrancesco TottiCarlos ValderramaRuud van NistelrooyRobin van PersieXavi+Phase 3-A (16 players)PlayerNationalityGianluigi BuffonIker CasillasZlatan IbrahimovićAndrés IniestaMesut ÖzilFranck RibéryArjen RobbenDaniel PassarellaMikel John ObiWayne RooneyYousuf Al-ThunayanMubarak MustafaToni KroosSócratesPhilipp LahmDaniele De Rossi
The Men's Player of the Month
MonthYearPlayerClubRef.2025.12025 Mohamed Salah Liverpool2025.22025 Kylian Mbappé Real Madrid2025.32025 Nico Williams Athletic Bilbao2025.42025 Lamine Yamal Barcelona2025.52025 Désiré Doué Paris Saint-Germain2025.62025 Nuno Mendes Paris Saint-Germain2025.72025 Cole Palmer Chelsea2025.82025 Giorgian de Arrascaeta Flamengo2025.92025 Erling Haaland Manchester City2025.102025 Harry Kane Bayern Munich2025.112025 Bukayo Saka Arsenal2025.122025 Rayan Cherki Manchester City2026.12026 Raphinha Barcelona2026.22026 Vinícius Júnior Real Madrid
Women's winners
List of winners YearRankWinnerClub(s)Points20201st Pernille Harder VfL Wolfsburg Chelsea–2nd Wendie Renard Lyon– Lucy Bronze Lyon Manchester City20211st Alexia Putellas Barcelona1352nd Sam Kerr Chelsea353rd Sam Mewis Manchester City North Carolina Courage3020221st Alexia Putellas Barcelona1152nd Beth Mead Arsenal553rd Wendie Renard Lyon3020231st Aitana Bonmatí Barcelona2022nd Salma Paralluelo Barcelona643rd Sam Kerr Chelsea5920241st Aitana Bonmatí Barcelona2322nd Salma Paralluelo Barcelona533rd Caroline Graham Hansen Barcelona3920251st Aitana Bonmatí Barcelona1962nd Alessia Russo Arsenal703rd Mariona Caldentey Arsenal55
Statistics +Winners (2020–present)PlayerWinsYears Aitana Bonmatí32023, 2024, 2025 Alexia Putellas22021, 2022 Pernille Harder12020 +Wins by clubClubTotalPlayers Barcelona52 Chelsea11 VfL Wolfsburg11 +Wins by nationalityNationalityTotalPlayers5211
Continental rankings
Bold indicates the World's Best Woman Player winner.
YearConfederationWinnerClub(s)2020UEFA Pernille Harder VfL Wolfsburg ChelseaCONMEBOL Marta Orlando PrideCONCACAF Tobin Heath Manchester UnitedCAF Asisat Oshoala BarcelonaAFC Saki Kumagai LyonOFC Rebekah Stott Melbourne City2021UEFA Alexia Putellas BarcelonaCONMEBOL Marta Orlando PrideCONCACAF Sam Mewis Manchester City North Carolina CourageCAF Asisat Oshoala BarcelonaAFC Sam Kerr ChelseaOFC Ria Percival Tottenham Hotspur2022UEFA Alexia Putellas BarcelonaCONMEBOL Linda Caicedo Deportivo CaliCONCACAF Alex Morgan San Diego WaveCAF Ghizlane Chebbak AS FARAFC Sam Kerr ChelseaOFC Claudia Bunge Melbourne Victory Northern Tigers
Women's Historical All-time World Best Players
+Top 10 playersRankPlayerNationality1Marta2Mia Hamm3Christine Sinclair4Kristine Lilly5Michelle Akers6Sun Wen7Homare Sawa8Heidi Mohr9Birgit Prinz10Aitana Bonmatí
The World's Best Woman Player of the Century (1901–2000)
IFFHS gave out an award decided by votes which was conducted with the participation of journalists and former players (no further details given). +Top 10 playersRankPlayerNationalityPoints 1Mia Hamm 442 2Michelle Akers 411 3Heidi Mohr 250 4 Carolina Morace 230 5 Sissi 212 6 Linda Medalen 181 7 Liu Ailing 165 8 Kristine Lilly 160 9 Heidi Støre 141 10 Pia Sundhage 129
The Best Woman Player of the Decade (2011–2020)
ConfederationFirstSecondThirdWorld Marta Carli Lloyd Dzsenifer MarozsánUEFA Dzsenifer Marozsán Ada Hegerberg Wendie RenardCONMEBOL Marta Cristiane FormigaCONCACAF Carli Lloyd Alex Morgan Megan RapinoeCAF Asisat Oshoala Gabrielle Onguéné Ngozi OkobiAFC Homare Sawa Samantha Kerr Saki KumagaiOFC Ria Percival Abby Erceg Rebekah Stott
Women Legends +Phase 1 (16 players)PlayerNationalityMichelle AkersGao HongMia HammSteffi JonesKristine LillyLiu AilingLinda MedalenHeidi MohrCarolina MoracePerpetua NkwochaBirgit PrinzHomare SawaSissiHeidi StørePia SundhageAbby Wambach+Phase 2 (16 players)PlayerNationalityCamille AbilyNadine AngererLouisa CadamuroJulie FoudyCarin Jennings-GabarraNadine KeßlerHanna LjungbergAya MiyamaChristie RamponeHege RiiseCélia ŠašićLotta SchelinAlex ScottKelly SmithHope SoloSun Wen+Phase 3-A (8 players)PlayerNationalityAlex MorganCarli LloydFormigaChristine SinclairMegan RapinoeCaroline SegerJanine van WykJulie Ertz
The Women's Player of the Month
MonthYearPlayerClubRef.2025.12025 Charlyn Corral Pachuca2025.22025 Mary Fowler Manchester City2025.32025 Ellen Wangerheim Hammarby2025.42025 Clàudia Pina Barcelona2025.52025 Jaimy Ravensbergen Twente2025.62025 Felicia Schröder Häcken2025.72025 Chloe Kelly Arsenal2025.82025 Montserrat Saldívar Club América2025.92025 Temwa Chawinga Kansas City Current2025.102025 Esmee Brugts Barcelona2025.112025 Momoko Tanikawa Bayern Munich2025.122025 Linda Caicedo Real Madrid2026.12026 Carly Johns Heart2026.22026 Kerolin Manchester City
See also International Federation of Football History & Statistics IFFHS World's Best Club IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper IFFHS World's Best Top Goal Scorer IFFHS World's Best International Goal Scorer IFFHS World Team IFFHS World's Best Club Coach IFFHS World's Best National Coach
References