Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo was named FIFA’s world player of the year for 2008, giving the Portuguese a sweep of soccer’s top individual honors.Ronaldo also received the Ballon d’Or in December after scoring 42 goals to lift United to last season’s European Champions League and English Premier League titles.
He becomes the first Premier League player to claim the FIFA accolade since soccer’s governing body introduced it in 1991.“This is not the end,” Ronaldo told reporters last night after collecting the award from Brazilian legend Pele at a ceremony in Zurich. “I want to be back next year to win it again. It’s my ambition that has brought me here and I will remain ambitious.”
The 23-year-old topped a poll of national team coaches and captains, with Argentina forward Lionel Messi coming second. Liverpool’s Spanish striker Fernando Torres was third, ahead of last year’s Brazilian winner, Kaka of AC Milan. Messi’s Barcelona teammate Xavi of Spain was fifth.
Ronaldo is the second Portuguese winner of FIFA’s award following Luis Figo in 2001. He was also voted soccer’s best player in an October poll of more than 50,000 footballers by FIFPro, the worldwide players union.
Ambitions-Ronaldo said yesterday he had been misquoted when media outlets across Europe reported him late last year saying “I am the first, second, and third best player in the world.”“I never said anything along those lines, that would be a lack of respect toward my co-players and colleagues,” Ronaldo said, as he sat alongside the other nominees.
Ronaldo, who joined United from Sporting Lisbon for 12.2 million pounds ($18.3 million) in 2003, hasn’t replicated last year’s form. He missed the start of the season because of an injury and has scored nine goals in 23 matches since returning in September.
“This is a prize that has always been an ambition of mine ever since I started playing football,” Ronaldo said. “But when I started at Sporting Lisbon six years ago I never imagined it would come so quickly.”Media speculation over a move to Real Madrid continues to cast doubts over his future. Spanish press in the past month suggested Ronaldo had signed a pre-contract agreement with the Spanish champion.
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“It’s not true,” the forward said, adding that he didn’t want to discuss the topic further. United reported Madrid to FIFA last year over claims that the Spanish team had made an illegal approach for its star player.“I consider myself lucky that I can become part of the history of this club,” he said, before crediting coach Alex Ferguson with much of his success.
“It was a great season for my club and the coach was important for me because I learnt a lot from him. He has immense experience. You know a good player could never make it without a great coach. It’s been a privilege to play under him.”This was the fourth year in a row that the same player collected the FIFA award and the Ballon d’Or, formerly known as European Footballer of the Year and organized by France Football magazine.