South American Footballer of the Year

Elías Figueroa and Carlos Tévez were each named the South American Footballer of the Year three times in succession, three decades apart.

The Rey del Fútbol de América ("King of Football of America"), often referred to as the South American Footballer of the Year, is an annual association football award presented to the best footballer in South America over the previous calendar year. The award was conceived by Venezuelan newspaper El Mundo, which awarded it from 1971 to 1985. Uruguayan newspaper El País took over from 1986 onwards. Originally, journalists could vote for South American players at any club around the world, but in 1986, there was a change in rules to prohibit players not playing in South American leagues from winning the award. From 1998, eligibility extended to South Americans playing in Mexico due to the participation of Mexican clubs in the Copa Libertadores.

The inaugural winner was Tostão of Cruzeiro. Mario Kempes, who played for Spanish club Valencia, was the only player to win the award while playing in a non-South American league. Three players have won the award three times each: Elías Figueroa of Internacional, Zico of Flamengo, and Carlos Tevez of Boca Juniors and Corinthians; Figueroa and Tevez did so in consecutive years. With 13 awards, Argentine and Brazilian players are tied for having won the most awards. Argentine club River Plate have had the most winners with seven awards. The most recent recipient of the award is Carlos Sánchez of River Plate, who won in 2015.

Winners

Between 1971 and 1985, the South American Footballer of the Year was named by El Mundo.
Year	1st	Pts	2nd	Pts	3rd	Pts
1971	Tostão (Cruzeiro)	N/A	José Omar Pastoriza (Independiente)	N/A	Luis Artime (Nacional)	N/A
1972	Teófilo Cubillas (Alianza Lima)	N/A	Pelé (Santos)	N/A	Jairzinho (Botafogo)	N/A
1973	Pelé (Santos)	N/A	Miguel Ángel Brindisi (Huracán)	N/A	Rivelino (Corinthians)	N/A
1974	Elías Figueroa (Internacional)	N/A	Marinho Chagas (Botafogo)	N/A	Carlos Babington (SG Wattenscheid 09)	N/A
1975	Elías Figueroa (Internacional)	N/A	Norberto Alonso (River Plate)	N/A	Fernando Morena (Peñarol)	N/A
1976	Elías Figueroa (Internacional)	N/A	Zico (Flamengo)	N/A	Rivelino (Fluminense)	N/A
1977	Zico (Flamengo)	N/A	Rivelino (Fluminense)	N/A	Elías Figueroa (Palestino)	N/A
1978	Mario Kempes (Valencia)	N/A	Ubaldo Fillol (River Plate)	N/A	Dirceu (América)	N/A
1979	Diego Maradona (Argentinos Juniors)	N/A	Julio César Romero (Sportivo Luqueño	N/A	Falcão (Internacional)	N/A
1980	Diego Maradona (Argentinos Juniors)	N/A	Zico (Flamengo)	N/A	Waldemar Victorino (Nacional)	N/A
1981	Zico (Flamengo)	N/A	Diego Maradona (Boca Juniors)	N/A	Júnior (Flamengo)	N/A
1982	Zico (Flamengo)	N/A	Falcão (Roma)	N/A	Diego Maradona (Barcelona)	N/A
1983	Sócrates (Corinthians	N/A	Ubaldo Fillol (Argentinos Juniors)	N/A	Éder (Atlético Mineiro)	N/A
1984	Enzo Francescoli (River Plate)	N/A	Ubaldo Fillol (Flamengo)	N/A	Ricardo Bochini (Independiente)	N/A
1985	Julio César Romero (Fluminense)	N/A	Enzo Francescoli (River Plate)	N/A	Claudio Borghi (Argentinos Juniors)	N/A
From 1986, the South American Footballer of the Year was named by El País.
Year	1st	Pts	2nd	Pts	3rd	Pts
1986	Antonio Alzamendi (River Plate)	N/A	Careca (São Paulo)	N/A	Julio César Romero (Fluminense)	N/A
1987	Carlos Valderrama (Deportivo Cali)	N/A	Obdulio Trasante (Peñarol)	N/A	José Perdomo (Peñarol)	N/A
1988	Rubén Paz (Racing Club)	N/A	Hugo de León (Nacional)	N/A	José Pintos Saldanha (Nacional)	N/A
1989	Bebeto (Vasco da Gama)	74	Mazinho (Vasco da Gama)	42	René Higuita (Atlético Nacional)	34
1990	Raúl Amarilla (Olimpia)	57	Rubén da Silva (River Plate)	32	Leonel Álvarez (Atlético Nacional) René Higuita (Atlético Nacional)	25
1991	Oscar Ruggeri (Vélez Sársfield)	44	Ramón Díaz (River Plate)	28	Patricio Toledo (Universidad Católica)	23
1992	Raí (São Paulo)	55	Sergio Goycochea (Olimpia)	24	Alberto Acosta (San Lorenzo) Fernando Gamboa (Newell's Old Boys)	20
1993	Carlos Valderrama (Atlético Junior)	46	Marco Etcheverry (Colo-Colo)	30	Cafu (São Paulo) Freddy Rincón (Palmeiras)	28
1994	Cafu (São Paulo)	36	José Luis Chilavert (Vélez Sársfield)	35	Gustavo López (Independiente)	22
1995	Enzo Francescoli (River Plate)	34	Diego Maradona (Boca Juniors)	28	Edmundo (Flamengo)	24
1996	José Luis Chilavert (Vélez Sársfield)	80	Enzo Francescoli (River Plate)	69	Ariel Ortega (River Plate) Carlos Valderrama (Atlético Junior)	41
1997	Marcelo Salas (River Plate)	87	Nolberto Solano (Sporting Cristal)	39	José Luis Chilavert (Vélez Sársfield)	37
1998	Martín Palermo (Boca Juniors)	73	Carlos Gamarra (Corinthians)	70	José Luis Chilavert (Vélez Sársfield)	63
1999	Javier Saviola (River Plate)	55	Francisco Arce (Palmeiras	45	Juan Román Riquelme (Boca Juniors)	42
2000	Romario (Vasco da Gama)	67	Juan Román Riquelme (Boca Juniors)	64	Óscar Córdoba (Boca Juniors) Martín Palermo (Boca Juniors)	53
2001	Juan Román Riquelme (Boca Juniors)	88	Óscar Córdoba (Boca Juniors)	59	Romario (Vasco da Gama)	41
2002	José Cardozo (Toluca)	39	Sergio Órteman (Olimpia)	32	Alejandro Lembo (Nacional)	30
2003	Carlos Tevez (Boca Juniors)	73	José Cardozo (Toluca)	39	Diego (Santos)	33
2004	Carlos Tevez (Boca Juniors)	76	Javier Mascherano (River Plate)	56	Lucho González (River Plate) Robinho (Santos)	37
2005	Carlos Tevez (Corinthians)	77	Diego Lugano (São Paulo)	54	Cicinho (São Paulo)	37
2006	Matías Fernández (Colo-Colo)	62	Rodrigo Palacio (Boca Juniors)	53	Fernando Gago (Boca Juniors)	50
2007	Salvador Cabañas (América)	67	Claudio Morel Rodríguez (Boca Juniors)	61	Hugo Ibarra (Boca Juniors)	57
2008	Juan Sebastián Verón (Estudiantes)	66	Juan Román Riquelme (Boca Juniors)	63	Salvador Cabañas (América)	47
2009	Juan Sebastián Verón (Estudiantes)	109	Édison Méndez (LDU Quito) Humberto Suazo (Monterrey)	64	Leandro Desábato (Estudiantes)	52
2010	Andrés D'Alessandro (Internacional)	61	Juan Sebastián Verón (Estudiantes)	51	Neymar (Santos)	47
2011	Neymar (Santos)	130	Eduardo Vargas (Universidad de Chile)	70	Ganso (Santos)	33
2012	Neymar (Santos)	199	Paolo Guerrero (Corinthians)	50	Lucas (São Paulo)	21
2013	Ronaldinho (Atlético Mineiro)	156	Neymar (Santos)	81	Maxi Rodríguez (Newell's Old Boys)	79
2014	Teófilo Gutiérrez (River Plate)	102	Carlos Sanchez (River Plate)	49	Leonardo Pisculichi (River Plate)	30
2015	Carlos Sanchez (River Plate)	182	Carlos Tevez ( Boca Juniors)	61	Miler Bolaños (Emelec)	23

Wins by player

Javier Saviola and Romário were the youngest and oldest winners at age 18 and age 34, respectively.

Player	1st	2nd	3rd
Zico	3 (1977, 1981, 1982)	2 (1976, 1980)	—
Carlos Tevez	3 (2003, 2004, 2005)	1 (2015)	—
Elías Figueroa	3 (1974, 1975, 1976)	—	1 (1977)
Diego Maradona	2 (1979, 1980)	2 (1981, 1995)	1 (1982)
Enzo Francescoli	2 (1984, 1995)	2 (1985, 1996)	—
Neymar	2 (2011, 2012)	1 (2013)	1 (2010)
Juan Sebastián Verón	2 (2008, 2009)	1 (2010)	—
Carlos Valderrama	2 (1987, 1993)	—	1 (1996)
Juan Román Riquelme	1 (2001)	2 (2000, 2008)	1 (1999)
José Luis Chilavert	1 (1996)	1 (1994)	2 (1997, 1998)
Julio César Romero	1 (1985)	1 (1979)	1 (1986)
Pelé	1 (1973)	1 (1972)	—
José Cardozo	1 (2002)	1 (2003)	—
Carlos Sanchez	1 (2015)	1 (2014)	—
Cafu	1 (1994)	—	1 (1993)
Martín Palermo	1 (1998)	—	1 (2000)
Romario	1 (2000)	—	1 (2001)
Salvador Cabañas	1 (2007)	—	1 (2008)

Wins by nationality

Country	Players	Total
Brazil	10	13
Argentina	9	13
Paraguay	5	5
Uruguay	4	5
Chile	3	5
Colombia	2	3
Peru	1	1

Wins by club

Club	Players	Total
River Plate	6	7
Boca Juniors	3	4
Internacional	2	4
Santos	2	3
Corinthians	2	2
Vasco da Gama	2	2
São Paulo	2	2
Vélez Sársfield	2	2
Flamengo	1	3
Argentinos Juniors	1	2
Estudiantes	1	2
Alianza Lima	1	1
América	1	1
Atlético Mineiro	1	1
Colo-Colo	1	1
Deportivo Cali	1	1
Fluminense	1	1
Junior	1	1
Olimpia	1	1
Racing	1	1
Toluca	1	1
Valencia	1	1

See also

• South American Coach of the Year

References

• Pierrend, José Luis (16 January 2009). "South American Coach and Player of the Year". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 18 January 2016.

External links

• Diario El Mundo
• Diario El Pais