Rui Costa tips Figo for Ballon d'Or

Ballon D'Or nominee Manuel Rui Costa believes Luís Figo is favourite to win his second European Footballer of the Year award.

The AC Milan midfielder believes that despite all the strong competition facing his international team-mate Figo will win the award for the second year running.

He said: "Figo is a target to many detractors as he holds the prize. This doesn't mean that there aren't other candidates with strong possibilities, but my favourite is Figo."

Rui Costa picked out Francesco Totti, Raúl, Michael Owen and even his Milan team-mate Andriy Shevchenko as other possible winners.

He continued: "Every player has a good chance to win, albeit Shevchenko who would need a victory against Germany to be present in the World Cup."

"The same affects me. So if some day I will be worthy of such reward it means I have already achieved important things for Milan."