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Europe's most prestigious award was created in 1956 by France Football magazine.
Until 1995 it was only open to footballers of European nationality.
However, since then it has been opened to anyone playing for a European club.
The award is voted for by a number of European football journalists.
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| Year | Player | Country | Team |
| 2006 | Fabio Cannavaro | Italy | Juventus/Real Madrid |
| 2005 | Ronaldinho | Brazil | FC Barcelona |
| 2004 | Andriy Shevchenko | Ukraine | A.C. Milan |
| 2003 | Pavel Nedved | Czech Republic | Juventus |
| 2002 | Ronaldo | Brazil | Real Madrid |
| 2001 | Michael Owen | England | Liverpool |
| 2000 | Luis Figo | Portugal | Real Madrid |
| 1999 | Rivaldo | Brazil | FC Barcelona |
| 1998 | Zinedine Zidane | France | Juventus |
| 1997 | Ronaldo | Brazil | Inter Milan |
| 1996 | Matthias Sammer | Germany | Borussia Dortmund |
| 1995 | George Weah | Liberia | A.C. Milan |
| 1994 | Hristo Stoichkov | Bulgaria | FC Barcelona |
| 1993 | Roberto Baggio | Italy | Juventus |
| 1992 | Marco van Basten | Holland | A.C. Milan |
| 1991 | Jean-Pierre Papin | France | Olympique Marseille |
| 1990 | Lothar Matthaus | West Germany | Inter Milan |
| 1989 | Marco van Basten | Holland | A.C. Milan |
| 1988 | Marco van Basten | Holland | A.C. Milan |
| 1987 | Ruud Gullit | Holland | A.C. Milan |
| 1986 | Igor Belanov | USSR | Dynamo Kiev |
| 1985 | Michel Platini | France | Juventus |
| 1984 | Michel Platini | France | Juventus |
| 1983 | Michel Platini | France | Juventus |
| 1982 | Paolo Rossi | Italy | Juventus |
| 1981 | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | West Germany | Bayern Munich |
| 1980 | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | West Germany | Bayern Munich |
| 1979 | Kevin Keegan | England | Hamburger SV |
| 1978 | Kevin Keegan | England | Hamburger SV |
| 1977 | Allan Simonsen | Denmark | Borussia Moenchengladbach |
| 1976 | Franz Beckenbauer | West Germany | Bayern Munich |
| 1975 | Oleg Blokhin | USSR | Dynamo Kiev |
| 1974 | Johan Cruyff | Holland | Barcelona |
| 1973 | Johan Cruyff | Holland | Barcelona |
| 1972 | Franz Beckenbauer | West Germany | Bayern Munich |
| 1971 | Johan Cruyff | Holland | Ajax Amsterdam |
| 1970 | Gerd Muller | West Germany | Bayern Munich |
| 1969 | Gianni Rivera | Italy | A.C. Milan |
| 1968 | George Best | N.Ireland | Manchester United |
| 1967 | Florian Albert | Hungary | Ferencvarus |
| 1966 | Bobby Charlton | England | Manchester United |
| 1965 | Eusebio | Portugal | Benfica |
| 1964 | Denis Law | Scotland | Manchester United |
| 1963 | Lev Yashin | USSR | Dynamo Moscow |
| 1962 | Josef Masopust | Czechoslovakia | Dukla Prague |
| 1961 | Omar Sivori | Argentina | Juventus |
| 1960 | Luis Suarez | Spain | FC Barcelona |
| 1959 | Alfredo Di Stefano | Argentina | Real Madrid |
| 1958 | Raymond Kopa | France | Real Madrid |
| 1957 | Alfredo Di Stefano | Argentina | Real Madrid |
| 1956 | Stanley Matthews | England | Blackpool |
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