Who was voted the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1996?

Ronaldo was voted the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1996.

The Brazilian striker, widely known as Ronaldo Nazário or “Ronaldo Luís,” won the award at age 20, becoming its youngest-ever recipient. His explosive performances for PSV Eindhoven and Barcelona made him one of the most feared forwards in world football.

The award was decided through votes from national-team coaches and captains. Ronaldo’s 1996 victory came before his celebrated move to Inter Milan in 1997, and it marked the beginning of his dominance in the late 1990s. He won the FIFA honour again in 1997 and later in 2002.

A common mix-up is confusing this Ronaldo with Cristiano Ronaldo, who won FIFA’s top-player award in 2016 and 2017 under its later “The Best” branding. The 1996 winner was Brazil’s Ronaldo Nazário, who also won the Ballon d’Or that year.