Lothar Matthäus.
KaKa' Brazilian Midfielder
Paolo Rossi, at the 1982 World Cup.
The German captain Lothar Mathaeus won the first footballer of the year in 1991.
1999
Lionel Messi won the prestigious award.
The Brazilian Ronaldo Lima won the fifa footballer of the year in 2002
Cristiano Ronaldo was playing for Manchester United in 2008 when he was named FIFA World Player of the Year. He was the first Premiership footballer to be given this award.
The footballer who won the F.I.F.a award was the Liberian footballer George Weah, or King George as he was called at A.C.Milan . He won it in 1995.
Yes in 1991 the German captain Lothaur Mathaeus. won the first award.
In the year 1992 the dutch footballer Marco Van Basten won the footballer of the year.
Martha of Brazil won the lady footballer of the year 2008.
Luis Figo from Portugal won the footballer of the year in 2001.