Paraguayan Footballer of the Year

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.

José Cardozo, pictured here in 2006, is a three-time winner of the journalists' award.
Miguel Almirón, also a three-time winner of the journalists' award.

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

Winners

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Journalists' vote

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

Public vote

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Year Player Club(s) Ref.
2004 Justo Villar   Newell's Old Boys [1]
2005 Julio dos Santos   Cerro Porteño [1]
2006 Óscar Cardozo   Nacional
  Newell's Old Boys[b]
[1]
2007 Nelson Valdez   Borussia Dortmund [1]
2008 Salvador Cabañas   América [1]
2009 Salvador Cabañas   América [1]
2010 Nelson Valdez   Hércules [1]
2011 Pablo Zeballos   Olimpia [1]
2012 Fidencio Oviedo   Cerro Porteño [1]
2013 Pablo Aguilar   Tijuana [1]
2014 Fernando Fernández   Guaraní [1]
2015 William Mendieta   Palmeiras [1]
2016 Rodrigo Rojas   Cerro Porteño [1]
2017 Miguel Almirón   Atlanta United [1]
2018 Roque Santa Cruz   Olimpia [1]
2019 Roque Santa Cruz   Olimpia [2]
2020 N/A N/A
2021 Gustavo Gómez   Palmeiras
2022 Miguel Almirón   Newcastle United [5]
2023 Mathías Villasanti   Grêmio

Notes

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  1. ^ Santa Cruz played the first half of 1999 for Olimpia, before being transferred to Bayern Munich in August 1999.
  2. ^ a b Cardozo played the first half of 2006 for the Nacional, before being transferred to Newell's Old Boys in the second half of 2006.
  3. ^ Aguilar played the first half of 2012 on loan to Sportivo Luqueño, and the second half of 2012 on loan to Tijuana.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak "Almirón y Roque, los mejores del 2018". ABC Color (in Spanish). 21 December 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Roque, el mejor del año". ABC Color (in Spanish). 27 December 2019.
  3. ^ "Gustavo Gómez, el "Mejor futbolista paraguayo del año"". ABC Color.
  4. ^ "Miguel Almirón, elegido el Mejor Futbolista Paraguayo del 2022"". ABC Color.
  5. ^ "Miguel Almirón, elegido el Mejor Futbolista Paraguayo del 2022"". ABC Color.