World Player 2002
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FIFA World Player of the Year 2002
A star is reborn in the East

They said he would need a miracle to get back to his best. A two-year career-threatening injury left many wondering whether the Brazilian son would ever rediscover his former magic. But the doubters had reckoned without Ronaldo’s belief. Il fenomeno’s return to the world’s biggest football stage in Asia was so spectacular, it seemed touched by divine intervention.

FIFA World Player of the Year 2002
Kahn, Ronaldo or Zidane?


The long wait is over, the six names are revealed: Kahn, Ronaldo or Zidane? Hamm, Prinz or Sun Wen? The best footballers of 2002 are finally revealed according to the votes of more than 200 national team coaches. But who will be king and queen? The FIFA Players of the Year will be crowned at the 12th annual Gala in Madrid on December 17.

FIFA World Player of the Year 2002
German giant reaches new heights
The Gods were not smiling on Germany as they prepared for the first Asian football finals. Rudi Voeller’s side was cruelly stripped of a number of key players just weeks before the tournament began prompting many so-called experts to write off the Mannschaft’s chances. But they had reckoned without their goalkeeping saviour – Oliver Kahn.

FIFA World Player of the Year 2002
Hamm, Prinz or Sun Wen?


The long wait is over, the six names are revealed: Hamm, Prinz or Sun Wen? Kahn, Ronaldo or Zidane? The best footballers of 2002 are finally revealed according to the votes of more than 200 national team coaches. But who will be queen and king? The FIFA Players of the Year will be crowned at the 12th annual Gala in Madrid on December 17.

FIFA World Player of the Year 2001
Luis Figo crowned for the first time
Mia Hamm is FIFA Women’s Player of the Year


And the winner is ... Luis Figo.
Photo Kurt Schorrer, FIFA
Luis Figo is the 2001 FIFA World Player of the Year. The talented Portuguese playmaker heads the list for the first time ever, having finished second in last year’s vote. England captain David Beckham came second in the voting, with Figo’s Real Madrid team-mate, Raúl of Spain, finishing third. In the women’s category, USA star Mia Hamm topped the list ahead of China’s Sun Wen and her fellow American Tiffeny Milbrett.

2001 FIFA World Player
Men: vote results by
" Coach " Player
Women: vote results by
" Coach " Player
Compared with the 2000 poll, this year’s result was much closer. Figo finished with 250 points, ahead of Beckham (238), who again has to settle for second place, having also come close in 1999. Positions three to five were even more keenly contested.

FIFA Men’s Player
 2001
 1. Luis Figo
 2. David Beckham
 3. Raúl
 Coaches voting: 130
 2000
 1. Zinedine Zidane
 2. Luis Figo
 3. Rivaldo
 Coaches voting: 150
 1999
 1. Rivaldo
 2. David Beckham
 3. Gabriel Batistuta
 Coaches voting: 140
 1998
 1. Zinedine Zidane
 2. Ronaldo
 3. Davor Suker
 Coaches voting: 132
 1997
 1. Ronaldo
 2. Roberto Carlos
 3. Dennis Bergkamp
     Zinedine Zidane
 Coaches voting: 121
 1996
 1. Ronaldo
 2. George Weah
 3. Alan Shearer
 Coaches voting: 120
 1995
 1. George Weah
 2. Paolo Maldini
 3. Jürgen Klinsmann
 Coaches voting: 95
 1994
 1. Romario
 2. Hristo Stoitchkov
 3. Roberto Baggio
 Coaches voting: 83
 1993
 1. Roberto Baggio
 2. Romario
 3. Dennis Bergkamp
 Coaches voting: 71
 1992
 1. Marco Van Basten
 2. Hristo Stoitchkov
 3. Thomas Hässler
 Coaches voting: 71
 1991
 1. Lothar Matthäus
 2. Jean-Pierre Papin
 3. Gary Lineker
 Coaches voting: 66
FIFA Women’s Player
 2001
 1. Mia Hamm
 2. Sun Wen
 3. Tiffeny Milbrett
 Coaches voting: 72
2001 FIFA Awards
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