Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo has won the 2008 Ballon d’Or award ahead of Lionel Messi and Fernando Torres.
Ronaldo was the clear favourite to land the prestigious prize after a remarkable year at Old Trafford. The powerful attacker netted 42 goals last season as the Red Devils claimed Premier League and UEFA Champions League glory.
He is already FIFPro World Player of the Year and also took the top prizes from the Professional Footballers’ Association and the Football Writers last term.
The Portugal winger is the first United player to win the Ballon d’Or since George Best in 1968 and the first from his country since Luis Figo in 2000.
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Cristiano Ronaldo will go into the UEFA Champions League final all but certain of winning of the ESM Golden Shoe for his 31 goals in the Premier League this season.
The Portuguese phenomenon is eight points clear of his closest rival in the race to be Europe’s best goalscorer of 2007/08, RCD Mallorca’s Daniel Güiza, who has scored 27 league goals.
With the seasons in the leading five European leagues all at an end, it is incredibly unlikely that anyone can catch the Manchester United FC player at the top of the table.
The nearest player to Ronaldo in the rankings who still has domestic league fixtures to play is Celtic FC’s Scott McDonald, who is 16th in the table with 37.5 points. With 1.5 points being awarded for every goal in the Scottish Premier League, as opposed to two south of the border, McDonald would need 17 goals in his side’s final league game to take the title from Ronaldo.
[Credits: UEFA.com]
Cristiano Ronaldo won the treble at United’s end of season awards, just hours after the Reds wrapped up the Barclays Premier League title with a thrilling win at Wigan.
Victory at the JJB Stadium made for an electric atmosphere at the Old Trafford party, where individual players at senior, reserve and academy level were rewarded for their efforts.
Ronaldo retained the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year gongs – and added the Goal of the Season award to his collection.
The Portuguese winger actually occupied the top two spots in the Goal of the Season award, taking first place with his stunning free kick against Portsmouth and second for his impudent backheel against Aston Villa.
The treble completes a remarkable campaign for Ronaldo, who earlier this month retained the PFA and Football Writers’ Player of the Season awards for his exertions.
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Cristiano Ronaldo have been voted footballer of the year by English Football Writers’ Association, completing a double after receiving the same accolade from Professional Footballers’ Association a week earlier.
It is the second season in succession that the 23-year-old Portugal winger has received both of English football’s most prestigious individual awards.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been named Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year for the second time in succession.
The Manchester United midfielder has enjoyed another outstanding campaign having scored 38 goals in all competitions for the Barclays Premier League champions.
The 23-year-old beat off competition from Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, Cesc Fabregas, Emmanuel Adebayor and David James to land the prize.
Arsenal midfielder Fabregas was named Young Player of the Year – an award which Ronaldo also won in 2007 – at a star-studded ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel tonight.
PFA team of the year (Premier League)
David James (Portsmouth), Bacary Sagna (Arsenal), Rio Ferdinand (Man Utd), Nemanja Vidic (Man Utd), Gael Clichy (Arsenal), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd), Ashley Young (Aston Villa), Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal), Fernando Torres (Liverpool).
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