Premier League - Ronaldo: The story so far

Eurosport - Tue, 02 Dec 17:05:00 2008

A look back at the career to date of Manchester United's Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo.

FOOTBALL 2007-2008 Manchester United - Cristiano Ronaldo - 0

THE BEST IN EUROPE

With his clever step-overs, fast footwork with both feet and good heading ability, Ronaldo has scored 101 goals for Manchester United in 256 matches for the club.

STAND-OUT SEASON

The winger enjoyed a highly successful 2007-08 season, scoring 42 goals in all competitions as United won a Premier League and Champions League double.

His exploits led to him becoming only the second player to win the PFA and Football Writers' player of the year awards in successive seasons after Thierry Henry.

TRANSFER TO REAL?

His exploits caught the attention of Real Madrid leading to a long summer of transfer speculation with

Manchester United reporting the Spanish club to FIFA over their public courting of the player. FIFA took no action and Ronaldo, who was recuperating from ankle surgery, eventually stayed with United.

LIFE DETAILS

Ronaldo was born on February 5 1985 in Funchal, Madeira. His late father Jose Dinis Aveiro gave him the second given name Ronaldo in honour of former US president Ronald Reagan.

He began attracting attention at the age of 10 and both Madeira's top teams Maritimo and Nacional scouted him. He played his youth football at Nacional before joining Sporting Lisbon, arch-rivals to his boyhood favourites Benfica.

TURNING POINT

The turning point in his career came in July 2003 when he impressed Manchester United's players and manager Alex Ferguson with an outstanding performance against them when United came to play in the Jose Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon. He joined Manchester United shortly afterwards aged just 18 for £12.5 million.

WORLD CUP CONTROVERSY

He courted controversy in the 2006 World Cup finals when he became embroiled in an incident involving his United team mate Wayne Rooney during England's World Cup quarter-final against Portugal. Cameras caught him winking at his bench as Rooney was sent off. There was speculation he might have to leave United, but instead he stayed and helped United win the Premier League the next season.

Although his 2006-07 season started under the shadow of the World Cup controversy, it ended on a high when he was named both Portugal's Footballer of the Year and won an English award double. He was also Manchester United's Player of the Year and the fans Player of the Year and was runner-up to Kaka in the Ballon D'Or or European Footballer of the Year poll.

BALLON D'OR ROLL OF HONOUR

1956 - Stanley Matthews (England)

1957 - Alfredo di Stefano (Spain)

1958 - Raymond Kopa (France)

1959 - Alfredo di Stefano (Spain)

1960 - Luis Suarez (Spain)

1961 - Omar Sivori (Italy)

1962 - Josef Masopust (Czechoslovakia)

1963 - Lev Yashin (USSR)

1964 - Denis Law (Scotland)

1965 - Eusebio (Portugal)

1966 - Bobby Charlton (England)

1967 - Florian Albert (Hungary)

1968 - George Best (Northern Ireland)

1969 - Gianni Rivera (Italy)

1970 - Gerd Mueller (West Germany)

1971 - Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)

1972 - Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany)

1973 - Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)

1974 - Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)

1975 - Oleg Blokhin (USSR)

1976 - Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany)

1977 - Allan Simonsen (Denmark)

1978 - Kevin Keegan (England)

1979 - Kevin Keegan (England)

1980 - Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany)

1981 - Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany)

1982 - Paolo Rossi (Italy)

1983 - Michel Platini (France)

1984 - Michel Platini (France)

1985 - Michel Platini (France)

1986 - Igor Belanov (USSR)

1987 - Ruud Gullit (Netherlands)

1988 - Marco van Basten (Netherlands)

1989 - Marco van Basten (Netherlands)

1990 - Lothar Matthaeus (Germany)

1991 - Jean-Pierre Papin (France)

1992 - Marco van Basten (Netherlands)

1993 - Roberto Baggio (Italy)

1994 - Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria)

1995 - George Weah (Liberia)

1996 - Matthias Sammer (Germany)

1997 - Ronaldo (Brazil)

1998 - Zinedine Zidane (France)

1999 - Rivaldo (Brazil)

2000 - Luis Figo (Portugal)

2001 - Michael Owen (England)

2002 - Ronaldo (Brazil)

2003 - Pavel Nedved (Czech Republic)

2004 - Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine)

2005 - Ronaldinho (Brazil)

2006 - Fabio Cannavaro (Italy)

2007 - Kaka (Brazil)

2008 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

Reuters

Comment 1 - 14 of 14

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  1. As we all can see from that list above, the­ "Ballon D'or" is not the real judge of­ who is the best Player, It is just honers the best of­ who achieved some trophy in that particular season.­ With all due respect to Marco Van Basten and Michel­ Platini, but THREE times awards did not make them a­ better player than MARADONNA, PELE, and other great­ players who never achieved this prize.
    The Best Player­ Last year and This year is the Undisputed MESSI whether­ he will achieve La Liga, CL or not.

    From saoud, on Tue 2 Dec 5:39PM

  2. no doubt that messi is a great footballer but it is not­ who is the better player but it is who performed­ best
    comment no 9:Ronaldo preformd best in the season­ 07 09 and in the 2008 as well what the f*ck is the­ difference
    he's played brillant thjisb season to­ and hey how many goals did messi score ?

    From opowicz, on Tue 2 Dec 5:09PM

  3. Come messi is by far better than CR7, I just can't­ understand why they didn't pick him...for me that­ was unfair, but he's going to get it next year!!!

    From vosfodo, on Tue 2 Dec 4:54PM

  4. i think mesi is the best ,new maradona or new­ elgrande.ronaldo is ok

    From Femi, on Tue 2 Dec 4:33PM

  5. Messi? Common guys... Messi is a great player but not­ better or even closer and the results are in the votes.­ The difference in votes is exactly the difference in­ talent between the two. As far as CR7 body language, he­ is still a 23 years old man and in couple more years­ you guys will see the real CR7. CONGRATULATIONS­ CRISTIANO

    From joeldanaia, on Tue 2 Dec 3:45PM

  6. comment 6. ronaldo was the best player in season­ 2007-2008 yes. was he the best player of the year??­ nooo. for me leo messi is far better than him. the­ award goes to the best player of the YEAR not of the­ SEASON. thats the difference

    From Varnavas P, on Tue 2 Dec 2:19PM

  7. i hope fernando torres will make it in 2009

    From ialiyu2006, on Tue 2 Dec 12:52PM

  8. heheheee, when ManU fans speak, we all sit up, take­ note and Laugh a Loud

    From Maia, on Tue 2 Dec 12:39PM

  9. FIFA is right. Ronaldo is the BEST PLAYER OF THE WORLD­ IN THE YEAR 2007-2008. His presence became felt­ anywhere any place. Is he the BEST MAN OF THE YEAR? ­ The answer is a straight NO. He needs someone to teach­ him life skills. He should watch his body language. ­ But he is still the best player on the pitch. His­ oponents requires tough and many a time dirty means to­ stop him or challenge him. The bruises and injuries to­ his feet are a living bizarre show-case.

    His age is­ only 23 years. Manchester United are accountable and­ responsible to attend to their human assests needs. I­ suggest that as part of his training he should be­ required to watch himself playing and diving and­ arguing during selected recorded football matches. He­ should then be OREDERED to discuss himself with­ selected experts and advisors. Only after he is made­ sensitive and aware of such state of affairs will HE­ become an idol of many football followers DREAMS. ­ UNTIL HE DOES THIS HE SHALL REMAIN THE BEST FOOTBALL­ PLAYER OF THE WORLD FOR THE YEAR 2007-2008.

    VINCE­ BORG
    MALTA

    From vinceb, on Tue 2 Dec 12:10PM

  10. FIFA is right. Ronaldo is the BEST PLAYER OF THE WORLD­ IN THE YEAR 2007-2008. His presence became felt­ anywhere any place. Is he the BEST MAN OF THE YEAR? ­ The answer is a straight NO. He needs someone to teach­ him life skills. He should watch his body language. ­ But he is still the best player on the pitch. His­ oponents requires tough and many a time dirty means to­ stop him or challenge him. The bruises and injuries to­ his feet are a living bizarre show-case.

    His age is­ only 23 years. Manchester United are accountable and­ responsible to attend to their human assests needs. I­ suggest that as part of his training he should be­ required to watch himself playing and diving and­ arguing during selected recorded football matches. He­ should then be OREDERED to discuss himself with­ selected experts and advisors. Only after he is made­ sensitive and aware of such state of affairs will­ become an idol of many football followers DREAMS. ­ UNTIL HE DOES THIS HE SHALL REMAIN THE BEST FOOTBALL­ PLAYER OF THE WORLD FOR THE YEAR 2007-2008.

    VINCE­ BORG
    MALTA

    From vinceb, on Tue 2 Dec 12:07PM
  11. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    The man has no honour or integrity. As soon as the­ summer gets here he will be bleating to go to real­ madrid again, theres no comparison to this jerk and­ any of the past winners. they all had honour and­ integrity, ronaldo has none, he doesnt deserve this­ honour. Anyway FIFA should bring in an extra­ requirement before awarding this. HONOUR and INTEGRITY

    From david h, on Tue 2 Dec 11:39AM

  12. martin n...I see where you're going with the Man­ Utd connection, but Matthews played for Stoke­ (1932-1947 & 1961-1965) & Blackpool (1947-1961)

    From Mike G, on Tue 2 Dec 11:18AM

  13. On the list of past­ winners........

    Stanley...
    Denis.....
    Bobby.....
    Georg­ e....
    Ronaldo...

    Any relationship to United?

    I­ wonder

    and a few from Pool he he he where are the rest­ like gunners etc

    So when we speak everybody else­ should sit up and take note

    From martin n, on Tue 2 Dec 10:57AM

  14. On the list of past­ winners........

    Stanley...
    Denis.....
    Bobby.....
    Georg­ e....
    Ronaldo...

    Any relationship to United?

    I­ wonder

    and a few from Pool he he he where are the rest­ like gunners etc

    So when we speak everybody else­ should sit up and take note

    From martin n, on Tue 2 Dec 10:56AM
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