Who was European Footballer of the Year in 2001?

Michael Owen was European Footballer of the Year in 2001, winning that year's Ballon d'Or. The award recognized his outstanding season with Liverpool and made him the fourth English player to receive the honor.

Owen's 2001 was unusually successful at club and international level. Liverpool won the League Cup, FA Cup, and UEFA Cup, with Owen scoring twice in the dramatic 5–4 UEFA Cup final victory over Alavés. He also scored both goals in Liverpool's 2–1 FA Cup final win against Arsenal at the Millennium Stadium.

The Ballon d'Or was presented by France Football and voted on by sports journalists from UEFA member countries. Owen narrowly finished ahead of Real Madrid midfielder Raúl and Bayern Munich goalkeeper Oliver Kahn. He was the first Liverpool player to win the award.

The title can cause confusion because “European Footballer of the Year” is the traditional description of the Ballon d'Or, not a separate UEFA award. Owen's victory came before the award was merged with FIFA's world player prize and later returned to its France Football format.