Rodriguez, a midfielder for Spanish club Real Madrid, was a key player on Colombia’s national team during the 2014 Brazil World Cup, winning world soccer body FIFA’s Golden Boot for his six goals, including the best goal of the championship in a match against Uruguay.
The young Rodriguez, 23, joined Real Madrid after the World Cup, and quickly became one of coach Carlo Ancelotti’s top players, helping the squad win this year’s UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup, held this month in Morocco.
Rodriguez will receive the award in March, during the AIPS Games, to be held in Manaos, Brazil.
The award for the continent’s best female athlete of the year also went to a Colombian, track and field star Caterine Ibarguen, gold medal winner at the Central American and Caribbean Games, held in Veracruz, Mexico, while Argentina’s national football team, which came in second at the World Cup, was voted best team in the Americas.