FIFA Fair Play Award facts for kids

Ball boys in Banadir Stadium, Somalia, holding a FIFA Fair Play banner.

The FIFA Fair Play Award is a special prize given by FIFA to people, teams, or groups in football. It celebrates amazing actions that show good sportsmanship, kindness, and respect in the game. This award started in 1987. It has been given to players, coaches, fans, and even whole communities. FIFA gives out one or more of these awards every year, except for 1994.

Celebrating Fair Play Heroes

Year	Winners	Reason	Ref
1987	Dundee United's fans	Their fans showed great sportsmanship towards the winning team in the UEFA Cup Final.
1988	Frank Ordenewitz	He honestly admitted to a handball during a game, even though it meant a penalty for his team.
	Spectators of the 1988 Seoul Olympic football tournament	The fans impressed everyone with their calm and respectful behavior during the Olympic football games.
1989	Trinidadian and Tobagonian supporters	Their supporters showed great spirit, even after their team lost an important match at home.
1990	Gary Lineker	He played his whole 16-year career without ever getting a yellow or red card, showing incredible discipline.
1991	Royal Spanish Football Federation	They involved many groups, like schools and media, to promote fair play across the country.
	Jorginho	He was recognized for being a role model both during games and in his everyday life.
1992	Royal Belgian Football Association	They ran a 'Football in Peace' campaign and helped children through a project in Mexico.
1993	Nándor Hidegkuti	He was honored for being a great example as both a player and a coach.
	Football Association of Zambia	Their national team showed amazing strength and spirit after a very sad plane accident.
1994	Not awarded
1995	Jacques Glassmann	He bravely spoke up about unfair actions in football, helping to make the game honest.
1996	George Weah	He showed his deep love for football and helped spread the message of fair play to many people.
1997	Irish supporters	Their fans showed excellent behavior, especially during a World Cup qualifying match.
	Jozef Žovinec (Slovak amateur player)	He played amateur football for 60 years without ever getting a yellow card, which is incredible!
	Julie Foudy	She worked hard to help children and protect them from difficult situations.
1998	United States Soccer Federation	Both teams showed great sportsmanship during their World Cup match, even though their countries had differences.
	Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran
	Irish Football Association	They worked to bring different communities together through football in a match in Belfast.
1999	New Zealand's football community	Their football community worked hard to make the FIFA U-17 World Championship a big success.
2000	Lucas Radebe	He worked with children in South Africa and fought against unfair treatment in football.
2001	Paolo Di Canio	He stopped play by catching the ball when an opposing goalkeeper was injured, showing true care for his opponent.
2002	Korea Football Association	They showed great teamwork and sportsmanship by working together to host the FIFA World Cup.
	Japan Football Association
2003	Celtic's Fans	Their fans showed amazing behavior during the UEFA Cup Final, even though their team lost a close game.
2004	Brazilian Football Confederation	They organized a 'Match for Peace' between Brazil and Haiti, promoting peace and safety in the community.
2005	Community of Iquitos, Peru	The entire community showed incredible support for the FIFA U-17 World Championship.
2006	Fans of the 2006 FIFA World Cup	The fans created a wonderful atmosphere with their fair play and respect for each other during the World Cup.
2007	Barcelona	They chose to display the UNICEF logo on their shirts instead of a paid sponsor, showing their support for children worldwide.
2008	Turkish Football Federation	They helped create friendly conversations between their countries through football.
	Football Federation of Armenia
2009	Bobby Robson	He was honored after he passed away for always showing fair play during his long career as a player and coach.
2010	Haiti women's national under-17 football team	They showed amazing strength and spirit after facing very difficult times following a big earthquake.
2011	Japan Football Association	They showed incredible resilience after a major earthquake and tsunami, while also winning the Women's World Cup.
2012	Uzbekistan Football Association	They proved that you can be competitive and still play fairly, showing that both go hand-in-hand.
2013	Afghanistan Football Federation	They showed great unity and strength in football, overcoming many challenges and difficult situations in their country.
2014	World Cup volunteers	They were recognized for their hard work, amazing support, and passion for football at various World Cup events.
2015	All football organisations supporting refugees	These organizations were honored for helping people who had to leave their homes due to difficult situations. Gerald Asamoah accepted the award for them.
2016	Atlético Nacional	They asked for their opponents, Chapecoense, to be awarded a championship title after a very sad plane accident involving the Chapecoense team.
2017	Francis Koné	He saved an opponent's life by giving them first aid right on the field after a collision.
2018	Lennart Thy	He missed a game to donate blood and help someone with a serious illness who urgently needed help.
2019	Marcelo Bielsa	After Leeds United scored a goal when an Aston Villa player was hurt, they let Aston Villa score a goal without trying to stop them, showing incredible sportsmanship.
	Leeds United
2020	Mattia Agnese	He gave important first aid to an opponent who became unconscious after a collision during a game.
2021	Denmark national team and medical staff	The team and medical staff quickly gave life-saving first aid and protected Christian Eriksen during a UEFA Euro 2020 match.
2022	Luka Lochoshvili	He saved Georg Teigl's life after Georg fell ill during a match.
2023	Brazil national team	In a friendly match, the team wore all-black jerseys instead of their usual yellow ones to stand up against unfair treatment.
2024	Thiago Maia	He volunteered to help people during a big flood in Rio Grande do Sul.