Portugal legend Figo becomes UEFA advisor

Former world player of the year Luis Figo has joined UEFA as a football advisor, European football’s governing body said on Wednesday.

The 44-year-old former Portugal star will work with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and UEFA’s Football Divison “across a variety of matters including technical aspects of the game, laws of the game and the overall attractiveness of the sport”.

Figo was FIFA World Player of the Year in 2001, a year after winning the Ballon d’Or.

“I have learned so much from football that I am now really looking forward to giving something back,” Figo said.

He won the Champions League with Real Madrid in 2002 and added four Spanish La Liga titles — two each with Real and Barcelona — as well as four Italian Serie A crowns with Inter Milan.

He was also part of the Portugal team that lost to Greece in the Euro 2004 final on home soil. He finished his international career with 32 goals in 127 appearances, a record at the time until it was broken by Cristiano Ronaldo.

“Luis Figo was a fantastic player who was exemplary in the way he conducted himself both on and off the pitch,” said Ceferin.