His club Corinthians won the league and had three of the 11 players in the team of the year – the same number as Copa Libertadores champions Gremio.
"We are delighted, we worked hard and we deserved it so this Golden Ball goes to Corinthians fans and my team mates who deserve it as well," Jo said at a ceremony in Rio de Janeiro.
The Goal of the Season award went to Atletico Mineiro's Otero for his 50-yard lob against Coritiba.
(Reporting by Andrew Downie in Sao Paulo; Editing by Ken Ferris)
