Eurosport - Mon, 08 Dec 14:56:00 2008
Newly-crowned Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo has pledged his future to Manchester United as long as they are competing for trophies.
The Manchester United winger was named as Kaka's successor and presented with the trophy in a televised ceremony on Sunday.
Ronaldo, who was the subject of much speculation this summer over a possible move to Real Madrid, was delighted to finally get his hands on the Ballon d'Or and has vowed to fire his club to more success this season.
"I feel at home there," he told France Football. "I arrived there when I was very young and I have won individual and team trophies there.
"Today I have this individual award that makes me very happy, it's the fulfilment of work that I have been doing for a long time.
"But I am ambitious. I have to keep on lifting individual and team trophies."
At the ceremony itself Ronaldo had scotched rumours he was still thinking about a move to Madrid, insisting his mind is only focused on helping his team emulate last season's achievements.
"I hope everything will be good again this year," he said on TF1. "And that we'll win the the Champions League again and the Premier League also, which is the club's priority.
"It's not the time to talk about other clubs at the moment. I'm happy here and I'm going to stay."
Of the 96 leading journalists polled by France Football magazine, 77 voted Ronaldo as their number one player this year and every one placed him in their top five after he scored 42 goals in United's Barclays Premier League and Champions League-winning season.
Ronaldo polled a massive 446 points from a maximum of 480, finishing comfortably ahead of second-placed Lionel Messi (281) and third-placed Fernando Torres (179).
The 23-year-old was visibly moved at the ceremony and even had a tear in his eye as he listened to people pay tribute to his stunning year.
Samuel Eto'o, Luis Figo and Luiz Felipe Scolari were just a few of the host of footballing luminaries who spoke on the video montage, while members of his family and friends also had messages for him,
"Congratulations because you deserved this Ballon' d'Or," said team-mate Patrice Evra before jokingly adding: "We helped you too, you have to think about us, You need to thank us too."
Kaka added the FIFA World Player of the Year award to his Ballon d'Or last year, something which Ronaldo is widely expected to achieve too when that prize is announced next month.
And the Milan star believes he is a worthy successor.
"I like the speed with which he runs with the ball," he said. "He's a fundamental player. I like him a lot."
Comment 46 - 65 of 65
until the little twerp gets a better pay offer from another club,greedy little diver.
Yes Ronaldo is the best... this is not a nomination in Asia for example when players selected due to relations or pressure from rich countries, it is Europe where the deserved win... last year Kaka won and he deserved that and this year Roony won and he fully deserves it... as you see Messa is second best and Torres is the second runner up....
I wish he was as humble (off the pitch) as he used to be though...but i guess with better game, more compliments, comes more confidence..and more smug. It rubs on the field as well..and who's gonna deny that we dont love seeing ashley cole on the floor once in a while, eh (i rememeber ronaldo's first game like it was yesterday).
He didnt just do alot for United, he's doen alot for football...he's evolved the duties of the traditional winger unmeasurably....his style of play is (on its best days) two players in one. And last season he was absolutely unstoppable. nobody could talk any smack about him, because he was next to perfect.
But with a player's rise, there has to be rubbish said about him, and other teams have to adapt to that (like we saw at villa - disturbing how many people wanted his blood..but hey, he must deal with it and step up i guess).
I would be absolutely shocked if the winner of the Ballon D'Or doesnt get the world player of the year. that would be an absolute shame. because he entertained and produced results. Unlike what alot of players cant say...Kaka, Messi...what did they produce last season...? Nothing. Im a great fan of both barca and almost as big a fan of AC as united, so Kaka is a favorite, but there were no results. So everybody should accept the results and move on with life.
You'll never know, next year it could be Anelka...maybe even Cesc or Messi (Robinho even....ha)....
Obaga
Kenya
He aint the best in the world
Ronaldinho the best ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This article managed to give rise to very positive and objective remarks. Well done to you colleagues who decided to speak your minds on Cristiano Ronaldo. Yes he is a great player and being endowed with a great talent and became very rich entails a lot of wisdom to carry this weight. Manchester United must reflect on what I said. Just reflect on the lives of George Best and Diego Maradona. One of them passed away, may the lord bless his soul and I thank him for the excellent football he gave us, but luckily the other survived the ordeals. These legends must be protected by making specialised knowledge and specialised guardians available to them. I am aware that they are no children. But take a look back at the life and social environment they stemmed out from only to find themselves the focus of the media and exposed to a totally different new and dangerous world.
Well done Cristiano Ronaldo and happy Christmas. I wish you more success to your future and a very happy life which you can share with your family and all the football society at large.
He is saying that just because Sir Alex asked him to prove his loyalty otherwise he won't get a hike, he is a cunning fella and can't be asset to any team. His days are gone.
Yankeer-ed must have S hite for brains
W should start the name instead of Y
hahaha ronaldo says he's up for staying now but wait until the summer when real come calling again with big dollar. tell me he's gona say the same then. will believe ronaldos is commited to man utd when i see it. arsenal fan
Of course Ronaldo is the best, otherwise he wouldn't have won. The Writers consider many players but not many win with the majority Ronaldo got. I wish my team had him and, I'll tell you what. All the backbiters and critics on these forums would jump at the chance to have him in their teams too. I've never yet met a fan whose club signed a great player who said they didn't want him. Hypocrisy and lies if they do.
Ronny deserves to win this award. Who agrees with me?
Basically, well deserved, goals, creativity, skill, probably dives a bit, no bad attitude (very rarely does he misbehave on the field), and overall he is the rightful owner of the trophy this year.
Well done ronny.
Well i am a manchester united fan till i die, and dont think im being biast. I last year had said to myself that KAKA deserved the award, and this year RONLADO did deserve it, no matter what you think of it. OH yeah, one more thing. He doesn't dive anymore, that was in his first two or three seasons at United.
Good Luck to him in the future, at United, where he belongs.
Erm....let me guess....The idiots on here who think ronaldo didnt deserve the award are.....not utd fans! he is not a cheat and not a bloody diver! He gets kicked week in week out so im not suprised he has the "red mist" moments and as far as being arrogant goes then so what if he is? He is by far and away the best footballer in the world-messi wasnt even on the same planet last season! So get over your idiotic jealousy and admit that after 42 goals last season and a champions league and premier league medal for his collection he is deserving of this award.
yankeered , should say wankerred
or messi
he dont come close to kaka,
well donr to ronaldo he is an overall great player and totally derserved the reward from a Arsenal fan
The Ballon d'Or for results last season - Ronaldo, no brainer
But if it were for professional ethics, character, team play, attitude...well then he would not have made even the top 50.
Maybe when (if) he matures a bit.
Then Liverpool will go fo him...
;-)
he is on his way to get best player of the world...
also to become united legend..
he has beat george best record....
now he is the new no.7 legend
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