Chilean midfielder Matias Fernandez, 20, was voted Latin America's Player of the Year in a poll of about 400 journalists conducted by Uruguayan newspaper El Pais.
Fernandez, who joined Spanish club Villarreal in December on an $11.5 million transfer, helped Colo Colo win both Chilean league titles of 2006 and scored nine goals in six Copa Sudamericana games as Colo Colo finished runner-up.
Fernandez was born in Argentina to an Argentine mother and Chilean father. They moved to Chile at age 4.
He was followed in voting by Boca Juniors' Rodrigo Palacio and Fernando Gago. Sao Paulo captain Rogerio Ceni, who became the highest-scoring goalkeeper in soccer history, was fourth after helping his team lift the Brazilian championship title.
Players must be based in Latin America for at least part of the year to be eligible.
Latin America Player of the Year winners since 1986
1986 Antonio Alzamendi (Uruguay) River Plate
1987 Carlos Valderrama (Colombia) Deportivo Cali
1988 Ruben Paz (Uruguay) Racing Club
1989 Bebeto (Brazil) Vasco da Gama
1990 Raul Vicente Amarilla (Paraguay) Olimpia
1991 Oscar Ruggeri (Argentina) Velez Sarsfield
1992 Rai (Brazil) Sao Paulo
1993 Carlos Valderrama (Colombia) Atletico Junior
1994 Cafu (Brazil) Sao Paulo
1995 Enzo Francescoli (Uruguay) River Plate
1996 Jose Luis Chilavert (Paraguay) Velez Sarsfield
1997 Marcelo Salas (Chile) River Plate
1998 Martin Palermo (Argentina) Boca Juniors
1999 Javier Saviola (Argentina) River Plate
2000 Romario (Brazil) Vasco da Gama
2001 Juan Roman Riquelme (Argentina) Boca Juniors
2002 Jose Cardozo (Paraguay) Toluca
2003 Carlos Tevez (Argentina) Boca Juniors
2004 Carlos Tevez (Argentina) Boca Juniors
2005 Carlos Tevez (Argentina) Corinthians
2006 Matias Fernandez (Chile) Colo Colo