Brazilian super-striker Ronaldo was a clear winner in the Internet World Footballer of the Year Poll for 1996-97, Ronaldo won six monthly awards and received almost twice as many votes as second placed Gianfranco Zola. After scoring a Spanish league record 34 goals in a season and helping Barcelona to the European Cup Winners Cup, A Spanish Cup Final and second place in the league, Ronaldo is truly a deserved winner.Gianfranco Zola got off to a slow start until his successful move to English Premier League side Chelsea where he won a FA Cup winners medal and was voted Premier League Player of the Season. Eric Cantona marked his final year of football in an outstanding career with 3rd place despite no International appearances.
Despite a hot and cold season, football fans voted Roberto Baggio 4th in 1996-97 ahead of Alan Shearer (5th), Paulo Maldini (6th) and last years FIFA Footballer of the Year George Weah (7th).
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| 1st | Ronaldo | Barcelona/Brazil |
| 2nd | Zola, G | Chelsea/Parma/Italy |
| 3rd | Cantona, E | Manchester United/France |
| 4th | Baggio, R | AC Milan/Italy |
| 5th | Shearer, A | Newcastle United/England |
| 6th | Maldini, P | AC Milan/Italy |
| 7th | Del Piero, A | Juventus/Italy |
| 8th | Weah, G | AC Milan/Liberia |
| 9th | Giggs, R | Manchester United/Wales |
| 10th | Djorkaeff, Y | Inter Milan/France |
| 10th | Beckham, D | Manchester United/England |
| 12th | Suker, D | Real Madrid/Croatia |
| 13th | Romario | Flamengo/Brazil |
| 14th | McManaman, S | Liverpool/England |
| 15th | Juninho | Middlesbrough/Brazil |
| 16th | Fowler, R | Liverpool/England |
| 17th | Zidane, Z | Juventus/France |
| 18th | Bergkamp, D | Arsenal/Holland |
| 19th | Schemeichel, P | Manchester United/Denmark |
| 20th | Batistuta, G | Fiorentina/Argentina |
Most Voted Club
| % | Club | Best 3 Players |
| 13.8 | Manchester United | (Cantona, Giggs, Beckham) |
| 11.4 | AC Milan | (Baggio, Maldini, Weah) |
| 10.7 | Barcelona | (Ronaldo, Stoichkov, Figo) |
| 6.7 | Chelsea | (Zola, Gullit, Vialli) |
| 6.1 | Juventus | (Del Piero, Zidane, Boksic) |
| 4.9 | Newcastle | (Shearer, Asprilla, Ginola) |
| 4.4 | Real Madrid | (Suker, Carlos, Mijatovic) |
| 3.8 | Liverpool | (McManaman, Fowler, Redknapp) |
| 3.5 | Inter Milan | (Djorkaeff, Ince, Zanetti) |
Most Voted Nationality
| % | Country | Best 3 Players |
| 20.1 | Italian | (Zola, Baggio, Maldini) |
| 13.9 | Brazilian | (Ronaldo, Romario, Juninho) |
| 13.0 | English | (Shearer, Beckham, McManaman) |
| 10.1 | French | (Cantona, Djorkaeff, Zidane) |
| 5.8 | Dutch | (Bergkamp, Jonk, Gullit) |
| 3.7 | German | (Klinsmann, Sammer, Kohler) |
| 3.5 | Croatian | (Suker, Boksic, Mijatovic) |
Most Voted League
| % | League | Best 3 Players |
| 36.1 | English | (Zola, Cantona, Shearer) |
| 26.2 | Italian | (Baggio, Maldini, Del Piero) |
| 16.4 | Spanish | (Ronaldo, Suker, Carlos) |
| 5.3 | Dutch | (Nilis, Jonk, Stam) |
| 4.6 | German | (Klinsmann, Sammer, Kohler) |
