FIFA Fair Play Award
The FIFA Fair Play Award is a FIFA recognition of exemplary behaviour that promotes the spirit of fair play and compassion in :association football around the world. First awarded in 1987, it has been presented to individuals, teams, fans, spectators, football associations/federations and even entire footballing communities. One or more awards are presented annually, with there being at least one recipient each year except in 1994, when no award was presented.
Winners
Source:Year | Winner | Reason | Notes |
1987 | Fans of Dundee United | Fans' good behaviour towards winners IFK Göteborg in the UEFA Cup Final. | |
1988 | Frank Ordenewitz | Sporting behaviour in admitting handball in a penalty situation in a match between 1. FC Köln and Werder Bremen. | |
1988 | Spectators of the 1988 Seoul Olympic football tournament | Fans' leaving a lasting impression with their sporting and composed behaviour. | |
1989 | Spectators of Trinidad and Tobago | Sporting behaviour despite home loss to the United States in their final match in the 1989 CONCACAF Championship. | |
1990 | Gary Lineker | Entire 15-year career as a professional football player without a yellow or red card. | |
1991 | Royal Spanish Football Federation | Exemplary way the government, media, schools, artists and sponsors were all involved in fair play activities. | |
1991 | Jorginho | Unique career and model behaviour both on and off the field. | |
1992 | Belgian Football Association | Promoting fair play with its campaign ”Football in Peace“ and aid project ”Casa Hogar“ in Toluca, Mexico. | |
1993 | Nándor Hidegkuti | Honoured for his model behaviour as a player and coach. | |
1993 | The Football Association of Zambia | Efforts of the reconstituted national team in the wake of 1993 Zambia national football team air disaster. | |
1994 | Not awarded | ||
1995 | Jacques Glassmann | Courageous attitude as whistleblower in the Valenciennes and Marseille bribery case. | |
1996 | George Weah | Demonstrating his true love for the game and projecting the message of Fair Play to the widest possible public. | |
1997 | Irish supporters | Exemplary behaviour, especially during the World Cup preliminary match against Belgium. | |
1997 | Jozef Zovinec | 60 years of amateur football without receiving a yellow card. | |
1997 | Julie Foudy | Efforts against child labour. | |
1998 | The United States Soccer Federation | Sportsmanship surrounding their World Cup match, despite mutual political tensions for nearly 20 years. | |
1998 | The Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran | Sportsmanship surrounding their World Cup match, despite mutual political tensions for nearly 20 years. | |
1998 | The Irish Football Association of Northern Ireland | Efforts to reunite the Catholic and Protestant communities, in a match in Belfast between Cliftonville and Linfield. | |
1999 | New Zealand's football community | Efforts towards making the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship a resounding success. | |
2000 | Lucas Radebe | Working with children in South Africa and commitment to the fight against racism in football. | |
2001 | Paolo Di Canio | Taking ball out of play with his hands, when opposing goalkeeper Paul Gerrard was injured on the ground. | |
2002 | Football communities of Japan and Korea Republic | Demonstrating a spirit of brotherhood and sportsmanship by co-hosting the 2002 World Cup. | |
2003 | Fans of Celtic | Exemplary behaviour in the 2003 UEFA Cup Final, despite Celtic losing 3–2 in extra-time to Porto. | |
2004 | Brazilian Football Confederation | Recognition of the “Match for Peace” played by the national teams of Brazil and Haiti, where tickets were offered in exchange for guns. | |
2005 | Community of Iquitos, Peru | Wholehearted support of the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship, and contribution to football. | |
2006 | Fans of the 2006 World Cup | Fans' fair play, mutual respect, and special atmosphere created inside and outside the stadiums. | |
2007 | Barcelona | Rejecting lucrative shirt sponsorship deals and instead carrying the UNICEF logo. | |
2008 | The Turkish Football Federation | Encouraging dialogue between two countries which otherwise do not have any form of diplomatic relationship. | |
2008 | The Football Federation of Armenia | Encouraging dialogue between two countries which otherwise do not have any form of diplomatic relationship. | |
2009 | Bobby Robson | Posthumously awarded for commitment to fair play shown throughout his career as a player and coach. | |
2010 | Haiti women's national under-17 football team | Enduring hardships in wake of 2010 Haiti earthquake. | |
2011 | Japan Football Association | Enduring hardships in wake of 2011 Japan earthquake, while winning the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. | |
2012 | Uzbekistan Football Federation | Showing that fair play and competition are not mutually exclusive but complement each other. | |
2013 | Afghanistan Football Federation | Solidarity in football against all odds through the after-effects of war, disorder and conflict. | |
2014 | World Cup volunteers | Their work, tireless support, enthusiasm, and passion for the game as demonstrated at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, 2014 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, and 2014 FIFA Club World Cup. | |
2015 | All football organisations supporting refugees | Working to support refugees in the face of conflict. Accepted on their behalf by Gerald Asamoah, who campaigns for the welfare of refugees. | |
2016 | Atlético Nacional | Requested CONMEBOL to award Chapecoense with the 2016 Copa Sudamericana title after the LaMia Flight 2933 crash. | |
2017 | Francis Koné | Saved the life of an opponent by administering on-pitch first aid after a collision. | |
2018 | Lennart Thy | Missed an Eredivisie match for VVV Venlo against PSV Eindhoven to donate blood for a recipient in urgent need of matching stem cells for Leukaemia treatment. | |
2019 | Marcelo Bielsa | After Leeds United scored while Aston Villa had an injured player on the pitch, Leeds United allowed Aston Villa to score unopposed. | |
2019 | Leeds United | After Leeds United scored while Aston Villa had an injured player on the pitch, Leeds United allowed Aston Villa to score unopposed. |