South American Footballer of the Year
The Rey del Fútbol de América, often referred to as the South American Footballer of the Year, is an annual association football award presented to the best footballer in South America over the previous calendar year. The award was conceived by Venezuelan newspaper El Mundo, which awarded it from 1971 to 1985. Uruguayan newspaper El País took over from 1986 onwards.
Originally, journalists could vote for South American players at any club around the world, but in 1986, there was a change in rules to prohibit players not playing in South American leagues from winning the award. From 1998, eligibility extended to South Americans playing in Mexico due to the participation of Mexican clubs in the Copa Libertadores.
The inaugural winner was Tostão of Cruzeiro. Mario Kempes, who played for Spanish club Valencia, was the only player to win the award while playing in a non-South American league. Three players have won the award three times each: Elías Figueroa of Internacional, Zico of Flamengo, and Carlos Tevez of Boca Juniors and Corinthians; Figueroa and Tevez did so in consecutive years. With 13 awards, Argentine and Brazilian players are tied for having won the most awards. Argentine club River Plate have had the most winners with seven awards. The most recent recipient of the award is Pity Martínez of River Plate, who won in 2018.Winners
''El Mundo'' award (1971–1985)
The award by newspaper El Mundo was awarded to the best South American footballer between 1971 and 1985.''El País'' award (1986–present)
From 1986, the South American Footballer of the Year was named by El País.Wins by player
| Player | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
 Zico | 3 | 2 | |
 Tevez | 3 | 1 | — |
 Figueroa | 3 | — | 1 |
| Maradona | 2 | 2 | 1 |
 Francescoli | 2 | 2 | — |
| Neymar | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Verón | 2 | 1 | — |
 Valderrama | 2 | — | 1 |
| Riquelme | 1 | 2 | 1 |
 Chilavert | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Romero | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Pelé | 1 | 1 | — |
| Cardozo | 1 | 1 | — |
| Sanchez | 1 | 1 | — |
| Cafu | 1 | — | 1 |
| Palermo | 1 | — | 1 |
| Romario | 1 | — | 1 |
| Cabañas | 1 | — | 1 |
| Tostão | 1 | — | — |
 Cubillas | 1 | — | — |
 Kempes | 1 | — | — |
| Sócrates | 1 | — | — |
 Alzamendi | 1 | — | — |
| Paz | 1 | — | — |
| Bebeto | 1 | — | — |
 Amarilla | 1 | — | — |
| Ruggeri | 1 | — | — |
| Raí | 1 | — | — |
| Salas | 1 | — | — |
| Saviola | 1 | — | — |
| Fernández | 1 | — | — |
| D'Alessandro | 1 | — | — |
| Ronaldinho | 1 | — | — |
| Gutiérrez | 1 | — | — |
| Borja | 1 | — | — |
| Luan | 1 | — | — |
| Martínez | 1 | — | — |
| Gabriel | 1 | — | — |
Wins by club
