As the last century approached its end, the competition for the award was fierce.
David Beckham emerged as the closest contender from Manchester United, bolstered by his Man of the Match performance in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich, which helped him move past the disappointment of his red card with England at the 1998 World Cup.
Inspirational captain Roy Keane finished in sixth place, while Dwight Yorke was the next best United player, coming in at 11th.
The award ultimately went to Rivaldo, the Barcelona star who played a key role in securing La Liga for the Catalans, scoring 24 goals in 37 appearances during their title-winning season. In total, the Brazilian netted 29 times across all competitions, including three in the Champions League, two of which came in the draw against United at the Nou Camp.
Nevertheless, it’s important to note that Ferguson’s team eliminated the highly rated Blaugrana in the group stage, which undermined Rivaldo’s bid for this prestigious honor.
What worked in his favor was his performance on the international stage. The talented forward was a joint-top scorer and awarded the best player title as Brazil successfully defended their Copa America title in Paraguay. This achievement gave him a significant advantage, especially since Yorke played just one match for his country throughout 1999.
