George Best, 1968 Ballon d'Or winner, sold the trophy to buy a house in Greece

Best sold his 1968 Ballon d'Or for €235,000 at auction in 2003 to fund a holiday home in Greece, years after his Manchester United glory.

George Best, the Manchester United legend and 1968 Ballon d'Or winner, auctioned his most prestigious individual awards in 2003 at age 57 to finance a vacation property in Greece. Best set an opening bid of €200,000 for both the Ballon d'Or and the English Footballer of the Year trophy from the same year. The Ballon d'Or sold to an anonymous telephone bidder for €235,000, while the English award received no bids.

By that point, Best's life had been ravaged by decades of alcoholism that severely damaged his liver and nearly killed him. Once hailed as the 'fifth Beatle' for his rock-star lifestyle and excentric personality, Best reflected on the sale with emotion, saying he felt a lump in his throat when he touched the trophies for the last time but ultimately decided to part with them. He expressed regret that the Ballon d'Or hadn't gone to someone in English entertainment circles so he could continue seeing it.