Champions League - Ronaldo wins FIFA award

Eurosport - Tue, 13 Jan 09:06:00 2009

Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo has been named FIFA World Player of the Year at a ceremony held by world football's governing body.

FOOTBALL 2009 Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo receives the award for FIFA World Player of the Year - 0

Barcelona's Argentine forward Lionel Messi was second and Liverpool's Spanish striker Fernando Torres third.

Also on the shortlist for the prestigious award was Milan playmaker Kaka - winner of last year's award - and Messi's Barcelona team-mate Xavi, who was voted Euro 2008 Player of the Tournament by a UEFA panel

Portugal winger Ronaldo, 23, won the honour for the first time after helping United win the Premier League, Champions League and Club World Cup.

The accolade also completed a hat-trick of top individual honours for Ronaldo, who had already won the football journalists' Ballon d'Or trophy and the FIFPro World Player of the Year title voted for by his fellow professionals.

"It's an overwhelming moment, very special," said Ronaldo after receiving the award from Pele.

"I can say to my mother and sister, 'let the fireworks off now'. It's one of the most important moments in my life."

Ronaldo is the first player based at an English club to win the FIFA award, which had previously gone only to footballers playing for Spanish or Italian sides.

"There may be no English players here but I believe it's important for England that myself and Fernando Torres are here representing two English clubs," said Ronaldo before the ceremony.

"It is a victory for the English fans as well because the Premier League is strong, even though we must not forget the leagues in Spain and Italy remain strong as well."

The FIFA award is voted by the national team coaches and captains of the 208-member associations of world soccer's governing body.

Ronaldo was voted in first place by 136 of the coaches and captains while 76 put Messi top.

The United player picked up 935 total points, ahead of 678 for Messi and 203 for Torres.

Brazilian striker Marta won the Women's award for the third consecutive year, equaling the record of Germany's Birgit Prinz, who finished second this time round with less than a third of the points (328) that Marta accrued (1,002). England's Kelly Smith was fifth behind Cristiane and Nadine Angerer of Brazil and Germany respectively.

Cristiano Ronaldo factfile

* Born on February 5 1985 in Funchal, Madeira Ronaldo's 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.

* 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.

* Since then Ronaldo has scored 102 goals for Manchester United in 264 matches for the club.

* 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 England's Footballer of the Year in successive seasons and just the third Portuguese player to win the Ballon d'Or award after Eusebio in 1965 and Luis Figo in 2000.

Reuters

Comment 170 - 189 of 229

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  1. Congratulation to a great achiever Cristiana Ronaldo­ and manchester united for making us proud.we give­ honour to whom honour is dew.more strenght to you to­ move to the next level with manchester united.Thanks­ once more and remain blessed in JESUS NAME AMEN.

    From ogoloma, on Tue 13 Jan 8:41AM

  2. 100 GUN SHOT FOR RONALDO. KPOZA! KPOZA!! KPOZA!!! abeg­ s not easy to be the WORLD BEST.U THINK SAY E EASY TO B­ THE WORLD BEST.

    From united.life, on Tue 13 Jan 8:38AM

  3. NOW THE NOISE IS OVER. WE CAN REST AT LEAST! LET'S­ BEGIN TO WATCH OUT FOR HIS DECLINE AS IT IS ALWAYS THE­ CASE WITH THIS SHOULDER RAISING AWARD. adios amigos

    From aya-mnger, on Tue 13 Jan 8:33AM

  4. WINNING MANCHESTER UNITED 1ST
    BARCELONA FC­ 2ND
    LIVERPOOL 3RD
    Y CAN WE NOT REJOICE WITH THESE
    CLUB­ MOST ESPECIALLY OUR OWN CRISTIANO RONALDO
    FOR THIS­ GREAT AWARD.
    ALL THIS BAD PEOPLE PLS U SHOULD LEARN ON­ HW TO
    B HAPPY WITH PEOPLE LIKE THIS. I REMAIN UNITED 4­ LIFE.

    From united.life, on Tue 13 Jan 8:32AM

  5. Ronaldo deserves the award 100% infact more than 100%.­ Great he is great so Happy and he is the best of all. ­ Where are the Blues, what happened. Man United 1st,­ Messi 2nd, and Torres 3rd. Please rejoice with the­ best. Man United for live no going back whether winning­ or not they can never, never disappoint their fans.­ King Cristiano Ronaldo you are the Best jooo, you­ deserve it more than anyone else.

    From united.life, on Tue 13 Jan 8:26AM

  6. There comes a time in a man's life,when he has 2­ stand up and be counted.CR7 has done all there is to be­ done in the game of football and rightly deserves to be­ named the world footballer of the year.I am a die hard­ Milan fan but to all his critics,all i have to say is­ "ALL HAIL KING CHRISTIANO RONALDO 7".Pls­ accord this young man all the respects of the king of­ football at the for a year.

    From onyemadike, on Tue 13 Jan 8:26AM

  7. applauds 171 comment true true o`h so true

    From mcpluker, on Tue 13 Jan 8:25AM

  8. OI MUGPGITS..STOP HOGGING THE COMMENTS PAGES, THEIR ARE­ OTHERS WHO WANT TO ADD THEIR COMMENTS TOO.

    From esther.melvyn, on Tue 13 Jan 8:22AM

  9. congratulations Ronaldo, u really deserve this­ award..,
    manchester united 4 life!!

    From miemie, on Tue 13 Jan 8:20AM

  10. well done deadly christiano.

    From terence, on Tue 13 Jan 8:19AM

  11. I HAVE HAD A QUICK READ AND MOST OF THE COMMENTS ABOUT­ RONALDO ARE FROM MAN.UTD. SUPPORTERS. I WOULD­ PERSONALLY LIKE TO ADD MY CONGRATULATIONS TO A PLAYER­ WHO IN MY EYES HAS BEEN THE OUTSTANDING PLAYER SINCE­ TIERRY HENRY HELD THE "CROWN"..HIS­ FOOTBALLING SKILLS ARE "BEAUTIFUL" TO WATCH,­ I JUST CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY HE HAS TO "DIVE"­ AND OVER REACT WHEN SOMEBODY GETS NEAR HIM..ANYWAY WELL­ DONE CHRISTIANO.. A LIFELONG ARSENAL SUPPORTER. BY THE­ WAY IF YOU ARE THINKING OF LEAVING MAN.U. COULD YOU­ MOVE TO THE EMIRATES. JUST IMAGINE CESC FABRIGAS PASSES­ TO RONALDO, A FEW JINKS HERE AND THERE AND WHAM, AN­ UNSTOPPABLE GOAL. DREAM ON EH? OLD GOONER.

    From esther.melvyn, on Tue 13 Jan 8:19AM

  12. Ronaldo deservd d award based on facts on ground.­ Congrats Ron, man u and english league.
    Gunners 4­ life.
    Heskey PH.

    From nedokglores, on Tue 13 Jan 8:15AM

  13. Transfer gossip.

    Real madrid are offering­ €40million, six players and their technical­ bench to manutd for a signature of the newly crowned­ FIFA world best player of the year, Christiano­ Manchester Ronaldo.

    From Majoser, on Tue 13 Jan 8:10AM

  14. These are the winners of the FIFA world player­ 2008.
    Winner.

    Christiano Ronaldo. (manutd)

    Runner-up­ 1

    Christiano A. Ronaldo. (Man U)

    Runner-up­ 2

    Christiano Ronaldo manchester.

    We'd like to­ congratulate the top three players of the world.

    Thud­ you.

    From Majoser, on Tue 13 Jan 8:04AM

  15. As long as one of our boys wins, we dont bother­ listening to idiots. Imagine some voted so erroneously­ and I thought they'd better vote themselves if they­ cant use their ice cream inside their heads.

    From Majoser, on Tue 13 Jan 7:57AM

  16. Ronaldo deserved the award, but so did Messi. I think­ most people would agree Messi is a better constant­ player, but Ronaldo was special last year.
    The problem­ is most short sighted uneducated people that comment­ here wouldn't even know Messi, Kaka, etc.
    Let's­ just celebrate the player, not the club or it's­ brain dead supporters eh? There is nothing in this­ award for supporters to be taking credit for, just­ Ronaldo. We should just aplaud that.

    From Roni, on Tue 13 Jan 7:44AM

  17. ronaldo is the best in the world as far as football is­ concerned and he plays for a champions team that is­ what every footballer wants (RECORDS) he has gotten­ that now and for life keep on playing because another­ trophy is on the way up man.u

    From oyedeji, on Tue 13 Jan 7:42AM

  18. ARE YOU WATCHING MERSERYSIDE!!!

    From Buzz, on Tue 13 Jan 7:35AM

  19. Benitez's pet Lucas is the most rubbish player i­ have seen, even Djimi Traore was better. Lucas is just­ a clown.
    Why or why does benitez have to play him?
    He­ is not even a half a player a player Alonso is, Can­ someone honestly tell me, if Lucas is put up for sale,­ which club in the world will want him?
    Very­ disappointed Liverpool fan

    From Willii, on Tue 13 Jan 7:35AM

  20. It came as no surprise, if Ronaldo was not named as the­ winner, then something had to be wrong somewhere. He­ worked hard and truely deserved the honour,

    From onyeka, on Tue 13 Jan 7:28AM
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