Former France great Kopa dies aged 85

Former France soccer great Raymond Kopa has died at the age of 85, a local newspaper reported on Friday, citing family sources.

Kopa died around 0800 in Angers, western France, daily Le Courrier de L'Ouest wrote on its website (www.courrierdelouest.fr).

A crafty advanced playmaker, Kopa guided France to third place at the 1958 World Cup won by Pele's Brazil, and was named the tournament's best player.

He was one of four French players, with Michel Platini, Zinedine Zidane and Jean-Pierre Papin, to have won the Ballon d'Or, football's top individual award.

Kopa, who was born in northern France in a family of Polish immigrants, won three consecutive European Cups with Real Madrid from 1957.