This day in history. 23 years ago, Luis Figo won the Ballon d'Or

The Ballon d'Or of the year 2000 marked the 45th presentation of the accolade honoring the finest footballer in European club football.

Representatives from 51 UEFA football associations participated in the survey. Each jury member selected five players whom they deemed the premier talents in Europe. Points were allocated as follows: five points for first place, four for second, three for third, two for fourth, and one for fifth. The victor could accumulate a maximum of 255 points.

The voting results were disclosed on December 19, 2000, in France Football magazine (No. 2854). The recipient of the award was the 28-year-old Portuguese winger, Luis Figo.

The frontrunner in the survey was considered to be Zinedine Zidane, who, in the same year, secured victory in the UEFA European Championship with the French national team, earning the title of the tournament's best player. Ultimately, Zidane, accumulating 16 points less than the winner, claimed the second position. For the second consecutive year, the third spot was secured by the top scorer of the Italian Serie A, the Ukrainian striker from AC Milan, Andriy Shevchenko.

Recall that in July 2000, Figo unexpectedly transferred for 62 million euros to the fiercest rival of the Catalan club - Real Madrid. His contract was bought out through the clause specified in the agreement with the Catalan club, making it the then-record-breaking transfer fee in world football.

This move heralded the beginning of the "Galacticos" era under Florentino Perez, during which the ranks of Madrid were annually enriched with a global football luminary.

We would also like to remind you that a year ago, Lionel Messi and the Argentine national team won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.