site.btaFootball Legend Hristo Stoichkov Turns 60

One of the most recognizable Bulgarians around the world turned 60 on Sunday. Hristo Stoichkov, the only Bulgarian winner of the Ballon d'Or, was a major figure in FC Barcelona's dream team in the 1990s and took the Bulgarian national squad to an epic fourth place in the 1994 World Cup in the United States, where he shared the top scorer award.

The explosive forward, renowned for his thunderous left foot, is five-time Spanish league champion with Barcelona and three-time Bulgarian league champion with CSKA Sofia.

On Sunday, the Bulgarian Football Union greeted Stoichkov on his 60th birthday, wishing him to stay in good health and to achieve many more successes in his career and private life.

The Hristo Stoichkov Hall of Fame in Sofia said they are launching an updated exposition on Monday to celebrate the birthday of the nation's most successful football player of all time. Visitors will be able to see original jerseys which the star wore, some of them displayed publicly for the first time. The new exposition highlights important moments in Stoichkov's career.

His birthday will be marked with an amateur football tournament in eight Bulgarian cities. The final will be held in the seaside town of Obzor.