Football History

Player of the year or season is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the year in the particular country’s league.

How is the Player of the season decided?
The recipient is chosen by a panel assembled by the league’s sponsors consisting of members of “football’s governing bodies, the media and fans”.

English premier league
1995 – 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿Alan Shearer
1996- 🇩🇰 Peter Schmeichel
1997- 🇧🇷 Juninho Paulista
1898- 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿Michael Owen
1999- Dwight Yorke
2000- 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Kevin Phillips
2001- Teddy Sheringham
2002 – 🇫🇷Robert Pirès
2003- 🇫🇷 Thierry Henry
2004- 🇫🇷 Thierry Henry
2005- 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Frank Lampard
2006- 🇫🇷 Thierry Henry
2007- 🇵🇹 Cristiano Ronaldo
2008-🇵🇹 Cristiano Ronaldo
2009 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Steven Gerrard
2010 – 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Wayne Rooney
2011 – 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Scott Parker
2012 – 🇳🇱 Robin van Persie
2013. -🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Gareth Bale
2014- 🇺🇾 Luis Suárez
2015 – 🇧🇪 Eden Hazard
2016 -🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Jamie Vardy
2017 – 🇫🇷 N’Golo Kanté
2018 – 🇪🇬 Mohamed Salah
2019 – 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Raheem Sterling
2020 – 🇧🇪 Kevin De Bruyne
2020 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Jordan Henderson
2021 – 🇧🇪 Kevin De Bruyne
2021- 🇵🇹 Rúben Dias
2022 -🇪🇬 Mohamed Salah
2023 – 🇳🇴 Erling Haaland
2024- 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Phil Foden
2025- 🇪🇬 Mohamed Salah

List of Serie A
1997 Roberto Mancini 🇮🇹
1998. Ronaldo 🇧🇷
1999 Christian Vieri 🇮🇹
2000 Francesco Totti 🇮🇹
2001 Zinedine Zidane 🇫🇷
2002 David Trezeguet 🇫🇷
2003 Pavel Nedvěd Czech
Forward Francesco Totti 🇮🇹
2004 Kaká 🇧🇷
2005 Alberto Gilardino 🇮🇹
2006 Fabio Cannavaro 🇮🇹
2007 Kaká 🇧🇷
2008 Zlatan Ibrahimović 🇸🇪
2009 Zlatan Ibrahimovic 🇸🇪
2010 Diego Milito 🇦🇷
2011 Zlatan Ibrahimović 🇸🇪
2012 Andrea Pirlo 🇮🇹
2013 Andrea Pirlo 🇮🇹
2014 Andrea Pirlo 🇮🇹 Juventus
2015 Carlos Tevez 🇦🇷Juventus
2016Leonardo Bonucci 🇮🇹
2017 Gianluigi Buffon 🇮🇹
2018 Mauro Icardi 🇦🇷
2019 Cristiano Ronaldo 🇵🇹
2020 Cristiano Ronaldo 🇵🇹
2021 Romelu Lukaku 🇧🇪
2022 Rafael Leão 🇵🇹
2023 Victor Osimhen 🇳🇬
2024 Lautaro Martínez 🇦🇷
2025 Yann Sommer 🇨🇭 Gk

List of Bundesliga’s

1999Lothar Matthäus 🇩🇪
2000 Oliver Kahn 🇩🇪
2001 Oliver Kahn 🇩🇪
2002 Michael Ballack 🇩🇪
2003 Michael Ballack 🇩🇪
2004 Aílton 🇧🇷
2005 Michael Ballack 🇩🇪
2006 Miroslav Klose 🇩🇪
2007 Mario Gómez 🇩🇪
2008 Franck Ribéry 🇫🇷
2009 Grafite 🇧🇷
2010 Arjen Robben 🇳🇱
2011 Manuel Neuer 🇩🇪
2012 Marco Reuse 🇩🇪
2013 Bastian Schweinsteiger 🇩🇪
2014 Manuel Neuer Germany🇩🇪
2015 Kevin De Bruyne 🇧🇪
2016 Jérôme Boateng 🇩🇪
2017 Philipp Lahm 🇩🇪
2018 Toni Kroos 🇩🇪
2019 Marco Reus 🇩🇪
2020 Robert Lewandowski 🇵🇱
2021Robert Lewandowski 🇵🇱
2022 Christopher Nkunku 🇫🇷
2023 İlkay Gündoğan 🇩🇪
2024 Florian Wirtz 🇩🇪
2025 Harry Kane 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

La Liga officially started to reward the best player of the season through a gala night since 2008-09.

2008-09 Lionel Messi 🇦🇷
2009-10 Lionel Messi 🇦🇷
2010-11 Lionel Messi. 🇦🇷
2011-12 Lionel Messi 🇦🇷
2012-13 Lionel Messi 🇦🇷
2013-14 Cristiano Ronaldo 🇵🇹
2014-15 Lionel Messi 🇦🇷
2015-16Antoine Griezmann 🇫🇷
2016-17 Lionel Messi 🇦🇷
2017-18 Lionel Messi 🇦🇷
2018-19 Lionel Messi 🇦🇷
2019-20 Karim Benzema 🇫🇷
2020-21 Jan Oblak Slovenia.
2021-22 Karim Benzema 🇫🇷
2022-23Marc-André ter steg🇩🇪
2023-24 Jude Bellingham 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
2024-25 Raphinha

🇫🇷 Ligue 1 — Player of the Year

1994 — 🇫🇷 David Ginola
1995 — 🇫🇷 Vincent Guérin
1996 — 🇫🇷 Zinedine Zidane
1997 — 🇧🇷 Sonny Anderson
1998 — 🇮🇹 Marco Simone
1999 — 🇩🇿 Ali Benarbia
2000 — 🇦🇷 Marcelo Gallardo
2001 — 🇫🇷 Eric Carrière
2002 — 🇵🇹 Pauleta
2003 — 🇵🇹 Pauleta
2004 — 🇨🇮 Didier Drogba
2005 — 🇬🇭 Michael Essien
2006 — 🇧🇷 Juninho
2007 — 🇫🇷 Florent Malouda
2008 — 🇫🇷 Karim Benzema
2009 — 🇫🇷 Yoann Gourcuff
2010 — 🇦🇷 Lisandro López
2011 — 🇧🇪 Eden Hazard
2012 — 🇧🇪 Eden Hazard
2013 — 🇸🇪 Zlatan Ibrahimović
2014 — 🇸🇪 Zlatan Ibrahimović
2015 — 🇫🇷 Alexandre Lacazette
2016 — 🇸🇪 Zlatan Ibrahimović
2017 — 🇺🇾 Edinson Cavani
2018 — 🇧🇷 Neymar
2019 — 🇫🇷 Kylian Mbappé
2020 — 🏴 Not awarded
2021 — 🇫🇷 Kylian Mbappé
2022 — 🇫🇷 Kylian Mbappé
2023 — 🇫🇷 Kylian Mbappé
2024 — 🇫🇷 Kylian Mbappé
2025 — 🇫🇷 Ousmane Dembélé

The 32-year-old Egyptian Muhammeed Salah, with his incredible performances this season, has broken different records in the English Premier League.

Firstly, Mo Salah was the first player to win the Premier League’s Golden Boot, Golden Playmaker and Player of the Season awards in a single campaign.

Secondly, the joint-highest number of Golden Boot wins with four (4)along with former Arsenal forward Theirry Henry.

Thirdly, Muhammad Salah’s 84th-minute goal during Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Anfield rounded off his goal to 47 goals in a single season to march with Cole in 1993 /94 and Allen Sheare’s 1994/85 record set by both players for having 34 goals and 13 assists in their respective 42-game in single seasons.

Lastly, Salah is the first player to complete the Golden Boot-Playmaker double for a second time – he also achieved this in 2021-22. Andrew Cole finished as the Premier League’s top scorer and highest assist contributor in 1993-94, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in 1998-99 and Harry Kane in 2020-21.

Below is this Premier League Top Scorers 2024-25 table .
G A P
M. Salah (Liverpool) 29 18 38
A. Isak (Newcastle) 23 6 34
E. Haaland (Man City) 22 3 31
B. Mbeumo (Brentford) 20 7 38
C. Wood (Forest) 20 3 36
Y. Wissa (Brentford) 19 4 35
O. Watkins (Villa) 16 8 38

OFFICIAL: Mohamed Salah was elected Player of the Season in the Premier League by the FWA. 🌟 🇪🇬
How did the award start ?
Let me give a short history of the English Premier League.

The Premier League was founded in 1992, when the clubs of the First Division left the Football League and established a new commercially independent league that negotiated its own broadcast and sponsorship agreements. The newly formed league had no sponsor for its inaugural season until Carling agreed to a four-year £12 million deal that started the following season. That same season, Carling introduced individual awards for players, such as the Golden Boot. However, the Player of the Month and Player of the Season awards were only first
In 1994–95 the first Player of the Season award was given to Blackburn Rovers striker Alan Shearer,

The Egyptian is way out on his own for goals scored (28) and assists (18) this season and has set the record for the most goal involvements in a 38-game season made him received 90% of the votes 👏 to win it third time.

🎖️ 2018
🎖️ 2022
🎖️ 2025
As the second player in history to win it three times.

Spanish football is a dream football dominated by Real Madrid and Barcelona. Here are the past winners of the Copa del Rey between 2000 and 2025 with El Clásico FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid all-time results.

2000 — Espanyol Barcelona

2001  — Real Zaragoza

2002 — Deportivo La Coruña

2003 — RCD Mallorca

2004 — Real Zaragoza

2005 — Real Betis

2006 — Espanyol Barcelona

2007 — Sevilla FC

2008 — Valencia CF

2009 — FC Barcelona

2010  — Sevilla FC

2011 — Real Madrid

2012  — FC Barcelona

2013 — Atlético Madrid

2014 — Real Madrid

2015  — FC Barcelona

2016  — FC Barcelona

2017  — FC Barcelona

2018  — FC Barcelona

2019  — Valencia CF

2020 — Real Sociedad

2021  — FC Barcelona

2022 — Real Betis

2023 — Real Madrid

2024 — Athletic Bilbao

2025 — FC Barcelona

Here are the total matches: 302

⚪️ Real Madrid wins: 111

🤝 Draws: 64

🔴 Barcelona wins: 127

🎯 Real Madrid goals: 491

🎯 Barcelona goals: 534

First Nigerian footballer to play in England?
● Titus Okere (Swindon FC 1952)

First Nigerian footballer to play in Portugal?
● Christian Nwokocha (Sporting Lisbon 1980)

First Nigerian footballer to play in France?
● Richard Owubokiri (Laval 1986)

First Nigerian footballer to play in Belgium?
● Stephen Okechukwu Keshi (Lokeren 1986)

First Nigerian footballer to play in Spain?
● Nduka Ugbade (Castellon 1989)
● Mutiu Adepoju (Real Madrid B Team 1989)

First Nigerian footballer to play in Germany?
● Samuel Sochukwuma Okwaraji (VFB Stuttgart 1987)

First Nigerian footballer to play in the Denmark?
● Uche Okechukwu (Brondby 1990)

First Nigerian footballer to play in Holland?
● Ogechukwu Ajah (Roda JC 1990)

First Nigerian footballer to play in Turkey?
● Dominic Iorfa (Galatasaray 1991)

First Nigerian footballer to play in Italy?
● Sunday Oliseh (Reggiana 1994)

First Nigerian footballer to play in Sweden?
● Mike Obiku (Helsingborg 1994)

First Nigerian footballer to play in Russia?
● Austin Eguavoen (Torpedo Moscow 1997)

First Nigerian footballer to play in Ukraine?
● Julius Aghahowa (Shakhtar Doentsk 2000)

First Nigerian footballer to play in Greece?
● Rashidi Yekini (Olympiakos 1994)

First Nigerian footballer to play in Switzerland?
● Duke Udi (FC Grasshoppers1995)

First Nigerian footballer to play in Croatia (then Yugoslavia)?
● Samuel Sochukwuma Okwaraji (Dinamo Zagreb 1985)

First Nigerian footballer to play in Cote ‘d’Ivoire?
● Stephen Okechukwu Keshi (Stade d’ Abidjan 1985)

First Nigerian footballer to play in Egypt?
● Emmanuel Amuneke (Zamalek 1991)

First Nigerian footballer to play in Tunisia?
● Garba Lawal (Esperance 1995)

First Nigerian footballer to play in South Africa?
● Willy Okpara (Orlando Pirates 1989)

First Nigerian footballer to play in Israel?
● Michael Emenalo (Maccabi Tel-Aviv 1998)

First Nigerian footballer to play in Saudi Arabia?
● Yahaya Gaku (Al-Shabab 1995)

First Nigerian footballer to play in Japan?
Momodu Mutairu (Kawasaki Frontale 1996)

First Nigerian footballer to play in China?
● Benedict Akwuegbu ( Shenyang Ginde 2002)

First Nigerian footballer to play in South Korea?
● Alex Agbo (Cheonan Jihwa 1997)

First Nigerian footballer to play in India?
● Chima Okorie (Changigarh FC 1984)

First Nigerian footballer to play in Brazil?
● Richard Owubokiri (America RJ 1983)

The first black footballer was Arthur Wharton, who was born in Jamestown, Ghana in 1865 to a Ghanaian mother, Annie Florence Egyriba, and a Scottish father, Henry Wharton.

In 1883, he moved to England to train as a missionary at Cleveland College, Darlington to further his father working getting to England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Arthur developed amazing interest in sporting careers, started as an amateur football in Darlington football club later graduate as professional to Botgerhan Town, sheff utd, Starlybridge fc and Ashton me etc

In 1930, Arthur died penniless in the Springwell Sanatorium in Balby and was buried in an unmarked grave in Edlington Cemetery.

Amen Shearer was born on 13/08/1970 as an English player who played as a forwardand had 441 appearances.
With 3 Golden Boots in the
1994/95, 1995/96 and 1996/97 had 260 goals in the English 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Premier League to be number one all-time goalscorers.

Harry Kane was born on 28/07/1993 in England. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 won 3golden boots in the years 2015/16, 2016/17 and 2020/21.
With 320 appearances and 213 goals, he is the second leading goalscorer in the history of the English Premier League.

Wayne Rooney was born on 24/10/1985 in England. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 played as a forward, had 208 goals in 491 appearances but never won any Golden Boot during his playing time but blessed with Player of the Season in 2009/10.

Andrew Cole, English 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Forward player who was born on 15/10/1971. Scorers 187 with 73 assists to be 4th position in the all-time English premiership goals scorers had 414 appearances with one golden boot in 1993/94.

Sergio Aguero, an Argentina 🇦🇷 international player who played as a forward, won a golden boot in 2014/15, 5 Premier League Champion with 184 goals and 275 appearances.

Mohammed Salah is an 🇪🇬 Egyptian forward who had 184 goals in 295 appearances and 3 golden boots in 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2021/22, but is still playing in the English Premier League League League.

Frank Lampard, English 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 played as a Midfielder born on 20/06/1978, had 177goals with 609 appearances, one Player of the Season in 2004/05 and 3 Premier League Champion.

Thierry Henry, a 🇫🇷 France professional player who played as a forward born on 17/08/1977, had 258 appearances, 4 golden boots in 2001/02, 2003/04, 2004/05 and
2005/06 with 175 goals to be ranked 8th among the all-time Premier League goalscorers.

Robbie Fowler was born on 09/04/1975. The English 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 forward played for Liverpool had 379 appearances with 163, never won Golden Golden Boot but two Player of the Month in December 1995 and January 1996.

Ranking no 10 among all-time Premier League goalscorers is Jermain Defoe is an 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 English player born on 07/10/1982 as forward had 162 goals with 496 appearances. Never won Golden boot, blessed with Goal of the Month in 2017/18 and Player of the Month August 2009.

 

PSG won French League 1 back-to-back with 70 points after a 1-0 win over Angers using 24 point leading second while match still remaining 6 matches..

The trophy was brought onto the pitch by captain Marquinhos as the 13th Trophy and was unveiled to the supporters before the kick-off.
This will be his 50th domestic trophy and 52nd overall, with the win in Doha to make it 34 of those trophies to be won since the arrival of Qatar Sports Investments in 2011.

With joy in the full face of everybody, this made PSG president Nasser Al Khelaifi say :’’We are immensely proud to be crowned Champions of Ligue 1, one of the strongest leagues in Europe, and it is extra special to have won the title undefeated until now”.

Congratulations to all the players, our coach Luis Enrique, our sports advisor Luis Campos and all our staff, who have done an incredible job. It is a great moment for all our fans, in France and overseas – and for the city of Paris”.

“Everyone in the world of football has seen and admired the development of the Paris Saint-Germain team in this new era – our philosophy is based on the collective above everything else. The star of Paris Saint-Germain is the team, and this star is shining so brightly”.

“We will treasure this moment together as a family and with our amazing fans. The season is far from over. We must continue to work hard and focus, match by match, fighting for everything in all competitions until the last moment of the season”.

Ian Wright and Shaun Wright-Phillips became the first father-son trophy in the history of the EPL. Wright-Phillips was part of Chelsea’s team that won the title in 2006, while Father won it with Arsenal in 1998.

Marcus Thuram and his father Lilian won Italian Seria A. Father won with Juventus in 2001/02 and 2002/03, while his son was in 2023 with Inter Milan.

Peter Schmeichel’s Manchester United lengthened with five Premiership League titles at Old Trafford and his son, Kasper, also won the title in 2006 with Leicester.

So it is for Daniel Maldini, who followed the suit of his father Paolo and grandfather Cesare, to win Scudetto for AC in 2021/22. .

Diego Simeone won it with Napoli and his son Giovanni, who had just won the title last season in 2023/24 with the same club, Napoli.

George Weah, an African legend, and his son Timothy Weah, lifted Ligue 1 with the same club, Paris SG.

Victor Osimhen is going to surpass these leading in goals for the EPL based on his individual contribution compared to some of them and, based on my observation of a successful striker in the English Premier League, what you need is speed and power, which he definitely has.

Leading goalscorer for the English Premier League 2024/25

Mohamed Salah Liverpool 27 goals
Erling Haaland Manchester City 21 goals
Alexander Isak, Newcastle United, 19 goals
Chris Wood Nottingham Forest
18 goals

Statistics of Victor with five leading goalscorers from the 2022/23 season till date.

Mohammed Sallah
2024/25
27
2023/24
Liverpool
18
2022/23
Liverpool
19

Erling Haaland 24
2024/25
Man city
21
2023/24
Mancity
27
2022/23
Mancity
36 goals

Alexander Isak 25 year
2024-25
Newcastle
20
2023-24
Newcastle
21
2022-23
Newcastle
10

Bryan Mbeumo 25years
2024/25
Brendford
16
2023/24
Brendford
9
2022/23
Brendford
9

Cole Palmer 22years
2024/25
Chelsea
14.
2023/24
Chelsea
22
2022/23
1

Victor Osimhen 26
2024/2025
Galatasaray
20
2023/2024
Napoli
15
2022/2023
Napoli
26

Record set by two best strikers with Osimhen

Mohamed Salah broke an all-time Premier League record after scoring a double against Southampton, and became the first player in Europe’s top five leagues to surpass 50 direct goal involvements this season, following his goal and assist in Sunday’s 2-0 win over Manchester City.

The Norwegian Erling Haaland finished the 2022/23 campaign with a squawking 52 goals in all competitions as he lifted the Treble. Haaland scored his 50th City goal in a 2-1 win over Fulham in April, making him the quickest player to score 30 goals in the English Premier League by breaking the record of Ruud van Nistelrooy (2002/03) and Mo Salah (2017/18), who previously jointly held the record with 44 goals across all competitions.

Victor collected the Serie A golden boot as the first African player with a hat-trick in Serie A to equal a record set by Argentine superstar Diego Armando Maradona by scoring at least 10 goals in four consecutive seasons.