Paraguayan Footballer of the Year explained

The Paraguayan Footballer of the Year is an award given to the best Paraguayan professional football player every year. The award began officially in 1997 and it is presented by Paraguayan newspaper ABC Color. Players that participate in this award can play in any professional football club in the world (although they do not necessarily have to be Paraguayan football clubs) and have to be either Paraguayan-born or Paraguayan-naturalised players.

A second award, voted by the public, was established in 2004. Justo Villar was the inaugural winner.

Winners

Journalists' vote

YearPlayerClub(s)
1997Carlos Gamarra Benfica[1]
1998Carlos Gamarra Corinthians
1999Roque Santa Cruz Olimpia
Bayern Munich
2000José Cardozo Toluca
2001Roberto Acuña Zaragoza
2002José Cardozo Toluca
2003José Cardozo Toluca
2004Justo Villar Newell's Old Boys
2005Julio dos Santos Cerro Porteño
2006Óscar Cardozo Nacional
Newell's Old Boys
2007Salvador Cabañas América
2008Claudio Morel Rodríguez Boca Juniors
2009Óscar Cardozo Benfica
2010Lucas Barrios Borussia Dortmund
2011Pablo Zeballos Olimpia
2012Pablo Aguilar Sportivo Luqueño
Tijuana
2013Ángel Romero Cerro Porteño
2014Fernando Fernández Guaraní
2015Derlis González Dynamo Kyiv
2016Rodrigo Rojas Cerro Porteño
2017Miguel Almirón Atlanta United
2018Miguel Almirón Atlanta United
2019Roque Santa Cruz Olimpia[2]
2020N/AN/A
2021Gustavo Gómez Palmeiras[3]
2022Miguel Almirón Newcastle United[4]
2023Mathías Villasanti Grêmio

Public vote

YearPlayerClub(s)
2004Justo Villar Newell's Old Boys
2005Julio dos Santos Cerro Porteño
2006Óscar Cardozo Nacional
Newell's Old Boys
2007Nelson Valdez Borussia Dortmund
2008Salvador Cabañas América
2009Salvador Cabañas América
2010Nelson Valdez Hércules
2011Pablo Zeballos Olimpia
2012Fidencio Oviedo Cerro Porteño
2013Pablo Aguilar Tijuana
2014Fernando Fernández Guaraní
2015William Mendieta Palmeiras
2016Rodrigo Rojas Cerro Porteño
2017Miguel Almirón Atlanta United
2018Roque Santa Cruz Olimpia
2019Roque Santa Cruz Olimpia
2020N/AN/A
2021Gustavo Gómez Palmeiras
2022Miguel Almirón Newcastle United[5]
2023Mathías Villasanti Grêmio

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Almirón y Roque, los mejores del 2018. ABC Color. 21 December 2018. Spanish.
  2. Web site: Roque, el mejor del año. ABC Color. 27 December 2019. Spanish.
  3. Web site: Gustavo Gómez, el “Mejor futbolista paraguayo del año”. ABC Color.
  4. Web site: Miguel Almirón, elegido el Mejor Futbolista Paraguayo del 2022”. ABC Color.
  5. Web site: Miguel Almirón, elegido el Mejor Futbolista Paraguayo del 2022”. ABC Color.