Figo Wins FIFA Player of the Year

Portuguese Luis Figo (29, Spain Real Madrid) was crowned the FIFA World Player of the Year Award.

The FIFA announced that Figo was elected as FIFA player of the year, finishing with 250 points, ahead of England Captain Beckham (England Manchester United), who had to settle for second place earing 238 points, in the poll in which 130 national coaches cast their votes.

And the U.S.`s Mia Hamm (29, USA Washington Freedom) was honored as the first FIFA Women`s Player of the Year, earing 154 points, ahead of Sun Wen of China.

Figo is a leading player of the Portuguese team as a world-best playmaker with Zinedine Zidane (France). In D-group, Portugal is scheduled to play with Korea in the third game of the preliminary round of next year`s World Cup at Incheon on June 14th, 2002.

Meanwhile, Honduras, which has been known as a killer of `stronger team` even though it failed to advance to the World Cup finals, was elected as FIFA team of the year. And Costa Rica was awarded `Best Mover of the Year for 2001`, and Italian Paolo di Canio (England West Ham) became FIFA Fair Play Award

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