Figo pips Beckham to world award

Luis Figo of Real Madrid was crowned FIFA's World Player of the Year on Monday when he narrowly out-scored Manchester United's David Beckham in a poll of national team coaches.

"It is a privilege for me to stand here and accept this trophy," said Figo, the 29-year-old Portuguese international forward.

"But this is an award not just to me, but to my team, my team mates at my club and with my country. I think it is a great reward for all the players around me in all the world.

"I am proud to be here with these great players and I thank my team mates, my family, my friends and my wife."

Figo, runner-up last year behind Frenchman Zinedine Zidane, scored a total of 250 points to beat United midfielder Beckham, on 238, into second place.

But the England captain, who was runner-up in 1999, gathered more votes for first place than any of his rivals -- 30 against Figo's 27.

Figo won, however, because he had 35 coaches' votes for second place compared to 23 for Beckham.

Another Real Madrid player, Raul, the Spanish international striker, was third.

Figo was presented with his award by the FIFA president Sepp Blatter and the former Liberian international striker George Weah, who won the award in 1995.

FIRST PORTUGUESE

Figo's victory in the voting made him the first Portuguese player to lift the award since it was created in 1991.

"Portuguese football has made fantastic progress in the last few years and I am happy to say that there are a lot of very good young players still coming through," he added.

"I am very proud of that for my country."

As he battled past a throng of reporters and admirers after the gala in a crowded television studio in central Zurich, Figo was congratulated by his Real Madrid club president Florentino Perez and general manager Jorge Valdano.

"To have two players here in this group is wonderful," said Valdano.

"And to have Zinedine Zidane at home watching is even better! This is a great honour for Real Madrid, I think."

Frenchman Zidane, the Real Madrid midfielder, won the award in 1998 and 2000 while at Juventus.

Perez pledged to purchase Figo, from Barcelona, for a then world record fee of $56 million dollars as part of his election campaign before he became president of Madrid in the summer of 2000.

The move was very unpopular with the Barcelona fans and caused uproar in Spanish soccer for some time.

Beckham, resplendent in a pin-striped black suit with a satin collar, a striped black shirt and dark tie, accepted his award for second place with dignity.

"It is just an honour to be standing here with these people," he said.

Raul gathered a total of 96 points to squeeze out his Madrid team mate Zidane, who was fourth on 94, and Barcelona's Brazilian striker Rivaldo, on 92.

DI CANIO HONOURED

Manchester United's Juan Sebastian Veron, of Argentina, was sixth on 71, ahead of Oliver Kahn of Bayern Munich and Germany, on 65 and Liverpool and England striker Michael Owen on 61.

Owen was later named European Footballer of the Year by France Football magazine.

Italian Paolo di Canio of West Ham United collected the Fair Play Award after a delayed arrival following a train journey from Milan.

He won the award for catching the ball instead of trying to score in order to allow the injured Everton goalkeeper to be treated during an English premier league match at Goodison Park a year ago this week.

"Football is about more than just two or three points," said the Italian. "It is something to play with great loyalty and honesty."