On the the 24th of January this year Rivaldo was crowned Fifa’s World Player of the Year, a truly prestigious title which elevated a 27 year old of humble origins to the upper echelons of history’s footballing hierarchy. The plaudits and the awe inspiring history being created does not stop there. A month previously on the 20th of December the Brazilian playmaker was also announced as the European Player of the Year, and was added to a list of footballing legends that stretches back over 40 years. There are many Player of the Year awards, but the original and still the most revered is the European Player of the Year Award announced by the French Football magazine “France Football”. In 1956 France Football began to honour Europes finest talents and have continued to do so ever since. 1999 was the year of Rivaldo, next year who knows, but history has been recorded and below is a full list of the previous winners of one of footballs most covetted titles. 1999: Rivaldo (Barcelona) 1998: Zinedine Zidane (Juventus) 1997: Ronaldo (Inter) 1996: Matthais Sammer (Dortmund) 1995: George Weah (Milan) 1994: Hiristo Stoichkov (Barcelona) 1993: Roberto Baggio (Juventus) 1992: Marco Van Basten (Milan) 1991: Jean-Pierre Papin (Milan) 1990: Lothar Matthaus (Inter) 1989: Marco Van Basten (Milan) 1988: Marco Van Basten (Milan) 1987: Ruud Gullit (Milan) 1986: Igor Belanov (Dynamo Kiev) 1985: Michel Platini (Juventus) 1984: Michel Platini (Juventus) 1983: Michel Platini (Juventus) 1982: Paulo Rossi (Juventus) 1981: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Bayern Munich) 1980: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Bayern Munich) 1979: Kevin Keegan (Hamburg) 1978: Kevin Keegan (Hamburg) 1977: Allan Simonsen (Borussia) 1976: Franz Beckenbaur (Bayern Munich) 1975: Oleg Blokhin (Dynamo Kiev) 1974: Johan Cruyff (Barcelona) 1973: Johan Cruyff (Barcelona) 1972: Franz Beckenbaur (Bayern Munich) 1971: Johan Cruyff (Ajax) 1970: Gerd Muller (Bayern Munich) 1969: Gianni Rivera (Milan) 1968: George Best (Manchester United) 1967: Florian Albert (Ferencvaros) 1966: Bobby Charlton (Manchester United) 1965: Euseibo (Benfica) 1964: Dennis Law (Manchester United) 1963: Lev Yashin (Moscow Dynamo) 1962: Josef Masopust (Dukla Prague) 1961: Omar Sivori (Juventus) 1960: Luis Suarez (Barcelona) 1959: Alfredo Di Stefano (Real Madrid) 1958: Raymond Kopa (Real Madrid) 1957: Alfredo Di Stefano (Real Madrid) 1956: Stanley Matthews (Blackpool)