FWA Footballer of the Year FWA Footballer of the Year The Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year (often called the FWA Footballer of the Year, or in England simply the Footballer of the Year) is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football. The award has been presented since the 1947–48 season, when the inaugural winner was Blackpool winger Stanley Matthews. The latest winner of the award as of 2017–18 is Mohamed Salah of Liverpool. Eight players have won the award on more than one occasion, the most recent being Cristiano
African Footballer of the Year Abedi Pelé in 1992. "France Football" discontinued the election from 1995 after the European Ballon d'Or – also awarded by the magazine – had been opened to all players in the European leagues. On 2 February 2008, Sevilla's Frédéric Kanouté was named the 2007 African Footballer of the Year. Kanouté, who was born in France, is the first European-born player to win the award (he plays for his father's native country of Mali). The award by "France Football" magazine was awarded to the best African footballer between 1970 and 1994. The award was discontinued in 1995 after the European Footballer