World’s Best Playmaker According to IFFHS: The IFFHS World’s Best Playmaker Award is given every year by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS). It goes to the player who is believed to be the best playmaker in the world for the previous year.
A playmaker is a player who guides and controls the team’s offensive strategy. They’re often the ones making passes that lead to goals. Good playmakers have exceptional skills like vision, technique, ball control, creativity, and passing ability.
To decide the winner of this award, experts in football from around the world vote, and their votes are weighted. They consider a player’s performance in all kinds of matches, both for their club and their national team.
The World’s Best Playmaker According to IFFHS
This award was first given out in 2006, and it recognizes the top playmaker in the world.
| Year | Winner | Club(s) | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Zinedine Zidane | Real Madrid | France |
| 2007 | Kaká | Milan | Brazil |
| 2008 | Xavi | Barcelona | Spain |
| 2009 | Xavi | Barcelona | Spain |
| 2010 | Xavi | Barcelona | Spain |
| 2011 | Xavi | Barcelona | Spain |
| 2012 | Andrés Iniesta | Barcelona | Spain |
| 2013 | Andrés Iniesta | Barcelona | Spain |
| 2014 | Toni Kroos | Bayern Munich/Real Madrid | Germany |
| 2015 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | Argentina |
| 2016 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | Argentina |
| 2017 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | Argentina |
| 2018 | Luka Modrić | Real Madrid | Croatia |
| 2019 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | Argentina |
| 2020 | Kevin De Bruyne | Manchester City | Belgium |
| 2021 | Kevin De Bruyne | Manchester City | Belgium |
| 2022 | Lionel Messi | Paris Saint-Germain | Argentina |
Multiple Winners
Lionel Messi has won the IFFHS World’s Best Playmaker Award five times, which is a record. He’s widely seen as the best playmaker ever. Messi is famous for his incredible vision, his skill in dribbling past defenders, and his precise passing. He’s also scored a lot of goals in his career, which makes him even more dangerous as a playmaker.
Xavi won the award four times in a row, from 2008 to 2011. He was a master at controlling the pace of a game and directing how it was played. Xavi was also an outstanding passer, always finding his teammates in good positions.
Andrés Iniesta won the award twice, in 2012 and 2013. Iniesta, like Messi and Xavi, had incredible vision and passing skills. He was also skilled at dribbling past defenders and creating chances for his team.
Kevin De Bruyne has won the award twice, in 2020 and 2021. He’s one of the most well-rounded playmakers in today’s football world. De Bruyne excels in passing, dribbling, and shooting. He’s also a smart player, always making the right decisions on the field.
These four players are the only ones who have won the IFFHS World’s Best Playmaker Award multiple times. They are all exceptional and have had a huge impact on the game of football.
| Player | Country | Wins (Years) |
|---|---|---|
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | 5x (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022) |
| Xavi | Spain | 4x (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) |
| Andrés Iniesta | Spain | 2x (2012, 2013) |
| Kevin De Bruyne | Belgium | 2x (2020, 2021) |
