On this date in 1999, Rivaldo was crowned the FIFA World Player of the Year.
Rivaldo’s glittering career started at Santa Cruz in 1990, and he played until 2015 at Mogi Mirim, and the former forward will be remembered as one of the most talented players to ever grace a football pitch.
The Brazilian’s most famous spell at club level came between 1997 and 2002, when he scored 130 times in 235 appearances for La Liga giants Barcelonalifting two La Liga titles, the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Super Cup in the process.
Rivaldo went on to win the Champions League at AC Milanwhile he played a key role in Brazil securing the 2002 World Cup, netting in five of his nation’s seven matches at the famous tournament.
During the 1998-99 campaign, Rivaldo scored 29 goals in 48 matches for Barcelona, including 24 goals in 37 La Liga outings, helping the Catalan giants to win the Spanish title in the process.
The Brazilian had some strong competition for the 1999 World Player of the Year award, and there are some incredibly famous names in the list.
As well as starring at club level, Rivaldo, as mentioned, won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002, in addition to helping his country finish as the runner-up at the 1998 edition of the tournament.
There were three more successes for the talented attacker at international level, winning the 1999 Copa America, 1997 Confederations Cup and the 1995 Umbro Cup.
Rivaldo’s success at club and international level in 1999 saw him handed the FIFA World Player of the Year award, and at that moment in time, he was regarded by many to be the best footballer on the planet.
As mentioned, there are some recognisable names in the top 10, but how many of the other nine players on the list can you name?
