The FIFA Order of Merit is the highest honour awarded by FIFA

FIFA

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...

. 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 :association 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

Confederation of African Football

The Confederation of African Football is the administrative and controlling body for African association football.CAF represents the national football associations of Africa, runs continental, national, and club competitions, and controls the prize money, regulations and media rights to those...

. 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

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...

 who won it for bringing South Africa back to international football.

Football Associations

Recipient	Year
Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol The Uruguayan Football Association is the governing body of football in Uruguay. It was founded in 1900 and affiliated in 1923. It is a founding member of CONMEBOL and is in charge of the Uruguay national football team and the Campeonato Uruguayo de Fútbol, including the Uruguayan Primera...	2004 (Centennial Award)
African Football Confederation of African Football The Confederation of African Football is the administrative and controlling body for African association football.CAF represents the national football associations of Africa, runs continental, national, and club competitions, and controls the prize money, regulations and media rights to those...	2004 (Centennial Award)
International Football Association Board International Football Association Board The International Football Association Board is the body that determines the Laws of the Game of association football.-Operations:...	2004 (Centennial Award)

Footballers

Recipient	Year	Nationality
Lev Yashin Lev Yashin Lev Ivanovich Yashin nicknamed as "The Black Spider", was a Soviet-Russian football goalkeeper, considered by many to be the greatest goalkeeper in the history of the game. He was known for his superior athleticism in goal, imposing stature, amazing reflex saves and inventing the idea of...	1988
Francisco Varallo Francisco Varallo Francisco Antonio "Pancho" Varallo was an Argentine football forward. He played for the Argentine national team from 1930 to 1937. He was a member of Argentina's squad at the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930...	1994
Zico Zico Arthur Antunes Coimbra , better known as Zico , is a Brazilian coach and former footballer. He is the current head coach of the Iraq national football team. Often called the "White Pelé", he is commonly considered one of the most skilled finishers and one of the best passers ever and possibly the...	1996
Bobby Moore Bobby Moore Robert Frederick Chelsea "Bobby" Moore, OBE was an English footballer. He captained West Ham United for more than ten years and was captain of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup...	1996
Salif Keita Salif Keita (footballer) Salif Keïta Traoré , known as Keita, is a retired Malian footballer who played as a striker.-Club career:In his country, Keita played for AS Real Bamako and Stade Malien...	1996
Michelle Akers Michelle Akers Michelle Akers is a former leading American association football player, who starred in the historic 1991 and 1999 Women's World Cup victory by the U.S.. She won the Golden Boot as the top scorer in the 1991 tournament...	1998
Larbi Benbarek Larbi Benbarek Larbi Benbarek or Larbi Ben Barek was a Moroccan football player...	1998
Gilmar Gilmar Gylmar dos Santos Neves known simply as Gilmar , is a former association footballer who played goalkeeper for Corinthians and Santos and was a member of the Brazil national team in three World Cups. He was elected the best Brazilian goalkeeper of the 20th Century and one of the best in the world...	1998
Gerd Müller Gerd Müller Gerhard "Gerd" Müller is a former German football player and one of the most prolific goalscorers of all time.With national records of 68 goals in 62 international appearances, 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga games and the international record of 66 goals in 74 European Club games, he was one of the...	1998
Fernand Sastre Fernand Sastre Fernand Sastre was a French football official who was President of the French Football Federation from 1972 to 1984.The Le Centre Technique National Fernand Sastre, better known as Clairefontaine, is named after him....	1998
Franz Beckenbauer Franz Beckenbauer Franz Anton Beckenbauer is a German football coach, manager, and former player, nicknamed Der Kaiser because of his elegant style, his leadership, his first name "Franz" , and his dominance on the football pitch...	2004	(Centennial Award)
Pelé Pelé However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...	2004	(Centennial Award)
Lee Ramoon Lee Ramoon Lee Ramoon is a former international footballer from the Cayman Islands.-Club career:Ramoon played college soccer in the United States at King College. Ramoon later played in the English Football Conference. Ramoon spent spells at Burscough and Welsh club Porthmadog, both on loan from Altrincham...	2004
Johnny Warren Johnny Warren John Norman Warren, MBE, OAM was an Australian football player, coach, administrator, writer and broadcaster. He was known as Captain Socceroo for his passionate work to promote the game in Australia...	2004
Paolo Maldini Paolo Maldini Paolo Cesare Maldini is an Italian former footballer who played as a left or central defender. He spent all 25 seasons of his career at Serie A club Milan, before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009, becoming a symbol and a legend of the club...	2008
Dino Zoff Dino Zoff Dino Zoff is an Italian former football goalkeeper and is the oldest winner ever of the World Cup, which he earned as captain of the Italian team in the 1982 tournament in Spain, at the age of 40 years, 4 months and 13 days.Zoff was a goalkeeper of outstanding ability and has a place in the...	2008
Bobby Robson Bobby Robson Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team during his career....	2009
Johan Cruijff	2010
Steve Sumner Steve Sumner Steven Paul Sumner is an English-born, New Zealand football player, who was captain of the national team during the country's first successful campaign to qualify for the World Cup, in 1982.-Club career:...	2010

Football Referees

Recipient	Year	Nationality
Farouk Bouzo	1996
Javier Arriaga Muñiz	1996

Football Officials

Recipient	Year	Nationality
Chen Chengda	1994
Maurice Burlaz	1996
Guillermo Canedo	1998
Henry Fok Henry Fok Henry Fok Ying Tung was a Hong Kong businessman. He has ancestral roots in Nansha, Panyu, now part of Guangzhou, Guangdong). Fok was the vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference of PRC since March 1993, and was possibly the most powerful...	1998	/
Julio Grondona Julio Grondona Julio Humberto Grondona is an Argentine football executive. He has served as president of the Argentine Football Association since 1979...	1998
Vyacheslav Koloskov Vyacheslav Koloskov Vyacheslav Ivanovich Koloskov was a famous Russian and Soviet sport functionary, vice-president of FIFA .He was a football player but without remarkable achievements. He was a Head of football and hockey Union....	1998
Bert Millichip Bert Millichip Sir Frederick Albert Millichip was an English association footballer best known for his sometimes controversial contributions to the administration of the game....	1998
Karl Heinz Weigang	1998
Santiago Bernabéu Santiago Bernabéu Yeste Santiago Bernabéu Yeste was a Spanish sportsman, one of the single most important men in Real Madrid's history. He is generally considered the one to whom much of the credit can be given for transforming Real Madrid C.F. from the second most successful club in Madrid into the most successful in...	2002
João Havelange João Havelange Jean-Marie Faustin Goedefroid de Havelange , more commonly known as João Havelange , was the 7th President of FIFA, serving from 1974 to 1998. He received the title of Honorary President when leaving office. He succeeded Sir Stanley Rous and was succeeded by Joseph Blatter...	2004	(Centennial Award)
Jules Rimet Jules Rimet Jules Rimet was a French football administrator who was the 3rd President of FIFA, serving from 1921 to 1954. He was FIFA's longest serving president, having served for 33 years. He also served as the president of the French Football Federation from 1919 to 1946...	2004	(Centennial Award)
Nodar Akhalkatsi Nodar Akhalkatsi Nodar Akhalkatsi was a professional football manager from Georgia.Akhalkatsi coached Soviet club Dinamo Tbilisi to the USSR league championship in 1978, with a side that contained the likes of David Kipiani, Ramaz Shengelia, Vitaly Daraselia, Tengiz Sulakvelidze and Aleksandr Chivadze, all of whom...	2008
Lisle Austin Lisle Austin Lisle Austin is the head of the Barbados Football Association and was made the interim head of CONCACAF on May 30, 2011. Controversy Preceding Austin’s May 30th appointment as Acting President, Chuck Blazer triggered controversy by accusing two top international soccer officials of corruption...	2010
Junji Ogura	2010

Other Individuals

Recipient	Year	Nationality
Henry Kissinger Henry Kissinger Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...	1996
Nelson Mandela Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...	1998

Clubs

Recipient	Year	Nationality
Real Madrid Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...	2004	(Centennial Award)
Sheffield F.C. Sheffield F.C. Sheffield Football Club is an English football club from Sheffield, South Yorkshire. The club is most noted for the fact that they are the world's oldest club now playing Association football, founded in 1857...	2004	(Centennial Award)

Corporate

Recipient	Year	Nationality	Corporation
Douglas Ivester Douglas Ivester Douglas Ivester was appointed as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Coca-Cola Company after the death of Mr. Roberto Goizueta. He retired on February 17, 2000.-Biography:...	1996
Adidas Adidas Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...	2004		N/A (Centennial Award)
Coca-Cola The Coca-Cola Company The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation and manufacturer, retailer and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups. The company is best known for its flagship product Coca-Cola, invented in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in Columbus, Georgia...	2004		N/A (Centennial Award)
Association Internationale de la Presse Sportive	2004		N/A (Centennial Award)

Other

Recipient	Year
Fans of Japan Football in Japan Association football is one of the most popular sports in Japan. Its nationwide organization, Japan Football Association, administers the professional football league, J...	2004 (Centennial Award)
Fans of Korea	2004 (Centennial Award)
Television	2004 (Centennial Award)
The City of Sheffield Sheffield Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...	2004 (Centennial Award)