Cristiano Ronaldo nominated best in the world for 2008

The number 7 of Manchester United was designated best football player of the year for 2008 by FIFA this Monday, the second athlete from the Sporting Clube de Portugal school in Lisbon, after Luís Figo, to win this prize. With 23 years and a long time to grow, Cristiano Ronaldo has the world at his feet.

Photo: Cristiano Ronaldo nominated best in the world for 2008

At 23 years of age, Cristiano Ronaldo won the Golden Boot with 42 goals scored in the last season for Manchester United, being Europe's best scorer and best player now the world. He also won the championship of the Premier League in England, and the Champions’ League.

"The last season for me was the best in the world. And he is a very intelligent player who decides games. When you think he’ll be on the left, then he appears on the right. When you expect him to kick from the left, then there’s a kick from the right." (Scolari, AFP)

He was born on the 5^th of February 1985 in Funchal, Madeira Island, Portugal. He played for the Andorinha club, before joining CD National of Madeira, where he won the children’s championship. At 11 years old, he joined the Academy of Sporting Clube de Portugal in Lisbon, where he represented all levels at youth level and in September 2002, at 17 years of age, defended the shirt of the seniors of Sporting CP. In 2002/3 he played 25 times for Sporting. The following season, in the first game of the new Alvaláxia XXI Stadium, against Manchester United, he played so brilliantly that the captain of the English club, Roy Keane, asked Alex Ferguson, the coach, not to return to Manchester without hiring the player. Then he was put on contract for 12.24 million pounds. It was renewed in April 2007 until 2012.

Titles

English championship : 2006 / 2007, 2007 / 2008

English championship - 2nd Place: 2005/2006

FA Cup : 2003 / 2004

FA Cup - 2nd Place: 2004/2005, 2006/2007

League Cup : 2005 / 2006

FA Community Shield : 2007

Champions League: 2007 / 2008

World Club Championship: 2008

Individual Awards

Bravo Award 2004

Team Tournament UEFA EURO 2004

UEFA Team of the Year 2004

2nd Best Young Player of the World (Tuttosport) 2004

12th best player in the world in 2004

20th Place Golden Ball - (France Football) 2005

20th Best Player in the World in 2005

5th Best Young Player of the World (Tuttosport) 2005

FIFA Pro Young Player of the Year 2005

Team of the Year of the Premier League 2005/2006

Barclays Player of the Month - November 2006

Barclays Player of the Month - December 2006

Young player of the Year FIFPro 2006

2nd place in the election of the Best Young Player in the World, 2006

Best Young Player of the English League in 2006

14th Place Golden Ball - (France Football) 2006

10th Best Player of the 2006 World

Team of the Year of the Premier League 2006/2007

Portuguese Footballer of the Year 2006/2007

Eleventh Ideal FIFPro 2006/2007

Best Young Player of the English League in 2007

Best Player of the English League in 2007

Best Player in the act English League (2007) by the Association of Journalists

Football Association (FWA). (Voting restricted to the United Kingdom)

2nd Place Golden Ball - (France Football) 2007

3rd Best Player of the World 2007

UEFA Team of the Year 2007

Barclays Player of the Month - January 2008

Barclays Player of the Month - March 2008

Best Player of the English League in 2008

Team of the Year of the Premier League 2007/2008

Barclays Golden Boot 2007/2008 (Best label of Premier League)

Barclays Merit Award 2007/2008

Best player of the Champions League 2007/2008

Best Forward of Champions League 2007/2008

Bota Golden boot - (France Football) 2007/2008

Eleventh Ideal FIFPro 2007/2008

Player of the Year FIFPro 2007/2008

Silver Boot World-wide Championship of Clubs of FIFA 2008

Winner Golden Ball - (France Football) 2008

FIFA World Player: 2008

Aleksei FEDEROV

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