South American Footballer of the Year

From 1998, eligibility extended to South Americans playing in Mexico due to the participation of Mexican clubs in the Copa Libertadores.

Any South American player playing the Americas at any point in the year was eligible.

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.

The most recent recipient of the award is Germán Cano of Fluminense, who won for the 2023 season.

[28] From 1986, the South American Footballer of the Year was named by El País.

Tamires was the first winner of the accolade in women's football in 2021.