The FIFA Order of Merit is the highest honour awarded by FIFA. The award is presented at the annual FIFA congress. It is normally awarded to people who are considered to have made a significant contribution to football. At FIFA's centennial congress they made one award for every decade of their existence. These awards were also handed out to fans, organisations, clubs, and one to African Football. These were referred to as the FIFA Centennial Order of Merit. The winner doesn't have to be directly involved with football to receive it. One such notable non-footballing personality was Nelson Mandela who won it for bringing South Africa back to international football.
Contents |
Recipients
Footballers
| Recipient | Year | Nationality |
| Francisco Varallo | 1994 |  Argentina |
| Zico | 1996 |  Brazil |
| Bobby Moore | 1996 |  England |
| Salif Keita | 1996 |  Mali |
| Michelle Akers | 1998 |  United States |
| Larbi Ben Barek | 1998 |  France |
| Gilmar | 1998 | Brazil |
| Gerd Müller | 1998 |  Germany |
| Fernand Sastre | 1998 | France |
| Franz Beckenbauer | 2004 | Germany |
| Pelé | 2004 | Brazil |
| Lee Ramoon | 2004 |  Cayman Islands |
| Johnny Warren | 2004 |  Australia |
Football Referees
| Recipient | Year | Nationality |
| Farouk Bouzo | 1996 |  Syria |
| Javier Arriaga Muñiz | 1996 |  Mexico |
Football Officials
| Recipient | Year | Nationality |
| Maurice Burlaz | 1996 | France |
| Guillermo Canedo | 1998 | Mexico |
| Henry Fok | 1998 |  Hong Kong/ China |
| Julio Grondona | 1998 | Argentina |
| Viacheslav Koloskov | 1998 |  Russia |
| Bert Millichip | 1998 | England |
| Karl Heinz Weigang | 1998 |  Sri Lanka |
| Santiago Bernabéu | 2002 |  Spain |
| João Havelange | 2004 | Brazil |
| Jules Rimet | 2004 | France |
Other Individuals
| Recipient | Year | Nationality |
| Henry Kissinger | 1996 | United States |
| Nelson Mandela | 1998 |  South Africa |
Clubs
| Recipient | Year | Nationality |
| Real Madrid | 2004 | Spain |
| Sheffield F.C. | 2004 | England |
Corporate
| Recipient | Year | Nationality | Corporation |
| Douglas Ivester | 1996 | United States |
Coca-Cola |
| Robert Louis-Dreyfus | 1996 | France |
Adidas |
| Adidas | 2004 | Germany |
N/A |
| Coca-Cola | 2004 | United States |
N/A |
| Association Internationale de la Presse Sportive | 2004 | France |
N/A |
Other
| Recipient | Year |
| African Football | 2004 |
| Fans of Japan | 2004 |
| Fans of Korea | 2004 |
| Uruguay FA | 2004 |
| International Football Association Board | 2004 |
| Television | 2004 |
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