The Ukrainian Footballer of the Year is an annual poll carried out by the Ukrainskiy Football ("Ukrainian Football") newspaper. The poll is conducted among sports journalists, footballers, football managers and other people connected with football.
The purpose of the poll is to select the best Ukrainian footballer since 1969. Establishment of the poll was influenced by the French football award "Ballon d'Or" and later similar poll established in the Soviet Union. In the Soviet Union, sports journalists of the Soviet sports magazine "Futbol-Khokey" (Football-Ice Hockey) in 1964 initiated a similar poll as it was carried out by the French magazine France Football. Unlike France Football, Futbol-Khokey was not giving an award like Ballon D'Or, but published results of the poll that it supposed to carried out among its journalists. Whether or not the poll was actually held or any of sports journalists were asked for their opinion, cannot be verified.
Few years later a similar poll started to be held for the Ukrainian footballers on initiative of the newspaper Molod Ukrayiny ("The Youth of Ukraine") published by the Ukrainian branch of Komsomol (LKSMU, not VLKSM). As a sidenote, in the Soviet Union, anything to do with sport was supervised by the Komsomol. Since starting to be held during the Soviet period, the Ukrainian Footballer of the Year poll is carried out to cast a vote for footballer who are native Ukrainians and so such tradition was kept following the fall of the Soviet Union.
Sometime in 1990s Molod Ukrayiny started to publish a separate specialized addition that was concentrated on football, Ukrainskiy Futbol (Ukrainian football). Since 1991 the voting for the Ukrainian Footballer of the Year was taking place in Ukrainskiy Futbol, which with time transformed into a separate sports newspaper.
There is also another award of the best footballer in the Ukrainian Premier League that was established in 1995 by the other newspaper Komanda. That award is not restricted to the Ukrainian nationals as in case of Ukrainian Football, but rather to the Premier League players.
Recipients Molod Ukrainy Year Footballer Club 1969 Viktor Serebryanikov Dinamo Kiev 1970 Volodymyr Muntyan Dinamo Kiev 1971 Yevgeniy Rudakov Dinamo Kiev 1972 Oleh Blokhin Dinamo Kiev 1973 Oleh Blokhin Dinamo Kiev 1974 Oleh Blokhin Dinamo Kiev 1975 Oleh Blokhin Dinamo Kiev 1976 Oleh Blokhin Dinamo Kiev 1977 Oleh Blokhin Dinamo Kiev 1978 Oleh Blokhin Dinamo Kiev 1979 Vitali Starukhin Shakhter Donetsk 1980 Oleh Blokhin Dinamo Kiev 1981 Oleh Blokhin Dinamo Kiev 1982 Anatoly Demyanenko Dinamo Kiev 1983 Oleh Taran Dnepr Dnepropetrovsk 1984 Hennadiy Lytovchenko Dnepr Dnepropetrovsk 1985 Anatoly Demyanenko Dinamo Kiev 1986 Oleksandr Zavarov Dinamo Kiev 1987 Oleksiy Mykhailychenko Dinamo Kiev 1988 Oleksiy Mykhailychenko Dinamo Kiev 1989 Volodymyr Bessonov Dinamo Kiev 1990 Sergei Yuran Dinamo Kiev
Ukrainskiy Football (newspaper) The below table lists only the top three leaders of voting for the Ukrainian Footballer of the Year. Year Footballer Club Results 1991Artur Valerko (19 December 2022). Референдум «УФ»: як Шевченко, Леоненко та Ярмоленко ставали найкращими в Україні. ukrfootball.ua. Akhrik Tsveiba2nd Serhiy Yuran3rd Oleg Salenko / Dynamo Kyiv / Dynamo Kyiv / Dynamo Kyiv 241 (49-43-8)148 (35-16-11)99 (17-16-16) 1992 Viktor Leonenko2nd Andriy Polunin3rd Oleksandr Pomazun Dynamo Kyiv Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Metalist Kharkiv 307 (83-20-18)110 (23-13-15)56 (5-16-9) 1993 Viktor Leonenko2nd Timerlan Huseinov3rd Dmytro Mykhailenko Dynamo Kyiv Chornomorets Odesa Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 376 (108-24-4)87 (8-24-15)76 (4-24-16) 1994 Viktor Leonenko2nd Oleksandr Shovkovskyi3rd Ihor Petrov Dynamo Kyiv Dynamo Kyiv Shakhtar Donetsk 395 (95-43-24)351 (69-58-28)182 (17-41-49) 1995 Yuriy Kalitvintsev2nd Andriy Shevchenko3rd Oleh Suslov Dynamo Kyiv Dynamo Kyiv Chornomorets Odesa 667 (192-37-17)231 (27-57-36)197 (20-43-51) 1996 Serhii Rebrov2nd Oleh Suslov3rd Yuri Maximov Dynamo Kyiv Chornomorets Odesa Dynamo Kyiv 538 (121-65-45)456 (82-82-46)302 (43-55-63) 1997 Andriy Shevchenko2nd Serhii Rebrov3rd Yuriy Kalitvintsev Dynamo Kyiv Dynamo Kyiv Dynamo Kyiv 814 (241-39-13)414 (41-119-53)290 (12-82-90) 1998 Serhii Rebrov2nd Andriy Shevchenko3rd Oleh Luzhnyi Dynamo Kyiv Dynamo Kyiv Dynamo Kyiv 1056 (256-128-32)612 (73-135-123)578 (91-104-97) 1999 Andriy Shevchenko2nd Serhii Rebrov3rd Oleksandr Shovkovskyi Dynamo Kyiv / Milan Dynamo Kyiv Dynamo Kyiv 1425 (407-86-32)1005 (118-282-87)251 (20-47-97) 2000 Andriy Shevchenko2nd Andriy Vorobei3rd Serhii Rebrov Milan Shakhtar Donetsk Dynamo Kyiv / Tottenham Hotspur 1618 (507-46-5)1090 (78-388-80)207 (1-56-92) 2001 Andriy Shevchenko2nd Hennadiy Zubov3rd Olexandr Melaschenko Milan Shakhtar Donetsk Dynamo Kyiv 1593 (511-25-10)848 (49-304-93)244 (3-61-113) 2002 Anatoliy Tymoshchuk2nd Andriy Shevchenko3rd Andriy Husyn Shakhtar Donetsk Milan Dynamo Kyiv 744 (167-96-51)494 (122-41-46)438 (74-76-64) 20032003 Ukrainskiy Football Award at UA-Football Oleh Venglinsky2nd Andriy Shevchenko3rd Anatoliy Tymoshchuk Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Milan Shakhtar Donetsk 963 (220-129-45)660 (147-92-35)309 (30-58-103) 2004 Andriy Shevchenko2nd Anatoliy Tymoshchuk3rd Andriy Voronin Milan Shakhtar Donetsk 1. FC Köln / Bayer Leverkusen 1376 (412-57-26)656 (71-163-117)463 (27-149-84) 2005 Andriy Shevchenko2nd Anatoliy Tymoshchuk3rd Ruslan Rotan Milan Shakhtar Donetsk Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk / Dynamo Kyiv 20062006 Ukrainskiy Football Award at UA-Football Anatoliy Tymoshchuk2nd Andriy Shevchenko3rd Serhii Rebrov Shakhtar Donetsk Milan / Chelsea Dynamo Kyiv 2007 Anatoliy Tymoshchuk2nd Andriy Voronin3rd Oleksandr Hladkiy Shakhtar Donetsk / Zenit Saint Petersburg Bayer Leverkusen / Liverpool FC Kharkiv / Shakhtar Donetsk 2008 Artem Milevskyi2nd Anatoliy Tymoshchuk3rd Serhiy Kravchenko Dynamo Kyiv Zenit Saint Petersburg Vorskla Poltava 20092009 Ukrainskiy Football Award at UA-Football Artem Milevskyi2nd Andriy Shevchenko3rd Andriy Pyatov Dynamo Kyiv Milan / Chelsea / Dynamo Kyiv Shakhtar Donetsk 20102010 Ukrainskiy Football Award at UA-Football Yevhen Konoplyanka2nd Yaroslav Rakitskiy3rd Marko Dević Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Shakhtar Donetsk Metalist Kharkiv 20112011 Ukrainskiy Football Award at UA-Football Andriy Voronin2nd Andriy Yarmolenko3rd Anatoliy Tymoshchuk Dynamo Moscow Dynamo Kyiv Bayern Munich 20122012 Ukrainskiy Football Award at UA-Football Yevhen Konoplyanka2nd Ruslan Rotan3rd Oleh Husyev Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Dynamo Kyiv 20132013 Ukrainskiy Football Award Andriy YarmolenkoYevhen Konoplyanka3rd Marko Dević Dynamo Kyiv Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Metalist Kharkiv 20142014 Ukrainskiy Football Award Andriy Yarmolenko2nd Yevhen Konoplyanka3rd Ruslan Rotan Dynamo Kyiv Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 2015 Andriy Yarmolenko2nd Yevhen Konoplyanka3rd Yevhen Seleznyov Dynamo Kyiv Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk / Sevilla Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 20162016 Ukrainskiy Football Award Ruslan Rotan2nd Andriy Pyatov3rd Andriy Yarmolenko Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Shakhtar Donetsk Dynamo Kyiv 2017 Andriy Yarmolenko2nd Taras Stepanenko3rd Denys Harmash Dynamo Kyiv / Borussia Dortmund Shakhtar Donetsk Dynamo Kyiv
Ukrainskiy Football (website)
Year Footballer Club2018 Viktor Tsyhankov2nd Marlos3rd Ruslan Malinovskyi Dynamo Kyiv Shakhtar Donetsk Genk2019 Oleksandr Zinchenko2nd Viktor Tsyhankov3rd Ruslan Malinovskyi Manchester City Dynamo Kyiv Genk / Atalanta2020 Denys Favorov2nd Vitalii Mykolenko3rd Viktor Tsyhankov Desna Chernihiv / Zorya Luhansk Dynamo Kyiv Dynamo Kyiv2021 no information2022 Mykhailo Mudryk2nd Artem Dovbyk3rd Vitaliy Buyalskyi Shakhtar Donetsk Dnipro-1 Dynamo Kyiv2023 Artem Dovbyk2nd Heorhiy Sudakov3rd Oleksandr Zinchenko Dnipro-1 / Girona Shakhtar Donetsk Arsenal2024 Illia Zabarnyi2nd Artem Dovbyk3rd Heorhiy Sudakov Bournemouth Girona / Roma Shakhtar Donetsk2025 no information
Alternative awards Komanda award (1995–2016) The Komanda award for the best footballer in the Ukrainian Premier League was established in 1995 by the Komanda newspaper. It is actually called the Ukrainian Premier League Footballer of the Year (Vyscha Liha Footballer of the Year before 2008). It is being evaluated by the participants of the League, players and coaches.
Year Footballer Club 1995 Yuriy Kalitvintsev 2nd Oleh Suslov 3rd Andriy Shevchenko FC Dynamo KyivFC Chornomorets OdesaFC Dynamo Kyiv 1996 Serhii Rebrov 2nd Yuriy Maksymov 3rd Oleh Suslov FC Dynamo KyivFC Dynamo KyivFC Chornomorets Odesa 1997 Andriy Shevchenko 2nd Serhii Rebrov 3rd Yuriy Kalitvintsev FC Dynamo KyivFC Dynamo KyivFC Dynamo Kyiv 1998 Serhii Rebrov 2nd Andriy Shevchenko 3rd Oleh Luzhnyi FC Dynamo KyivFC Dynamo KyivFC Dynamo Kyiv 1999 Serhii Rebrov 2nd Andriy Shevchenko 3rd Vladyslav Vashchuk FC Dynamo KyivFC Dynamo Kyiv / AC MilanFC Dynamo Kyiv 2000 Andriy Vorobey 2nd Valyantsin Byalkevich 3rd Yuriy Virt FC Shakhtar DonetskFC Dynamo KyivFC Shakhtar Donetsk 2001 Valyantsin Byalkevich 2nd Hennadiy Zubov 3rd Serhiy Shyshchenko FC Dynamo KyivFC Shakhtar DonetskFC Metalurh Donetsk 2002 Anatoliy Tymoshchuk 2nd Valyantsin Byalkevich 3rd Oleh Venhlynskyi FC Shakhtar DonetskFC Dynamo KyivFC Dynamo Kyiv / FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 20032003 Komanda Award at UA-Football Valyantsin Byalkevich 2nd Oleh Venhlynskyi 3rd Serhiy Fedorov FC Dynamo KyivFC Dnipro DnipropetrovskFC Dynamo Kyiv 20042004 Komanda Award at UA-Football Oleksandr Rykun 2nd Oleksandr Shovkovskyi 3rd Matuzalém FC Dnipro DnipropetrovskFC Dynamo KyivFC Shakhtar Donetsk 20052005 Komanda Award at UA-Football Oleh Husyev 2nd Anatoliy Tymoshchuk 3rd Matuzalém FC Dynamo KyivFC Shakhtar DonetskFC Shakhtar Donetsk 20062006 Komanda Award at UA-Football Serhiy Nazarenko 2nd Matuzalém 3rd Anatoliy Tymoshchuk FC Dnipro DnipropetrovskFC Shakhtar DonetskFC Shakhtar Donetsk 20072007 Komanda Award at UA-Football Serhiy Nazarenko 2nd Oleksandr Gladkiy 3rd Fernandinho FC Dnipro DnipropetrovskFC Shakhtar DonetskFC Shakhtar Donetsk 20082008 Komanda Award at UA-Football Jajá 2nd Artem Milevskyi 3rd Serhiy Kravchenko FC Metalist KharkivFC Dynamo KyivFC Vorskla Poltava 20092009 Komanda Award at UA-Football Artem Milevskyi 2nd Andriy Shevchenko 3rd Andriy Pyatov FC Dynamo KyivFC Dynamo KyivFC Shakhtar Donetsk 20102010 Komanda Award at UA-Football Andriy Pyatov 2nd Yevhen Konoplyanka 3rd Darijo Srna FC Shakhtar DonetskFC Dnipro DnipropetrovskFC Shakhtar Donetsk 20112011 Komanda Award at UA-Football Andriy Yarmolenko 2nd Taison 3rd Oleksandr Rybka FC Dynamo KyivFC Metalist KharkivFC Obolon Kyiv / FC Shakhtar Donetsk 20122012 Komanda Award at NB News Henrikh Mkhitaryan 2nd Willian 3rd Yevhen Konoplyanka FC Shakhtar DonetskFC Shakhtar DonetskFC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 20132013 Komanda Award at Sport.ua Yevhen Konoplyanka 2nd Andriy Yarmolenko 3rd Marko Dević FC Dnipro DnipropetrovskFC Dynamo KyivFC Metalist Kharkiv 20142014 Komanda Award at Football24.ua Andriy Yarmolenko 2nd Yevhen Konoplyanka 3rd Cleiton Xavier FC Dynamo KyivFC Dnipro DnipropetrovskFC Metalist Kharkiv 2015 Alex Teixeira 2nd Andriy Yarmolenko 3rd Yevhen Khacheridi FC Shakhtar DonetskFC Dynamo KyivFC Dynamo Kyiv 2016Тяжело, но уверенно: Хавбек донецкого «Шахтера» Марлос победил по всем версиям Marlos 2nd Andriy Yarmolenko 3rd Darijo Srna FC Shakhtar DonetskFC Dynamo KyivFC Shakhtar Donetsk