Ronaldo ends golden year by picking up Ballon d'Or award

Published on Tuesday 2 December 2008 09:13

CRISTIANO RONALDO rounded off an unforgettable 12 months by being awarded the prestigious Ballon d'Or.

The 23-year-old succeeded Brazil star Kaka in taking the award after a year which saw his Manchester United side win the Barclays Premier League and Champions League.

Ronaldo also performed on the international stage with Portugal in Euro 2008.

His form saw him come second in the 2007 Ballon D'Or and third in the FIFA World Player of the Year voting, but it is testament to the player that he improved the level of his performances and became one of the main influences in United's title-winning side.

Ronaldo started the year by scoring his first hat-trick for Manchester United in a 6-0 demolition of Newcastle in January and a week later his goal in a 2-0 win at Reading saw him equal his entire tally, 23, from the previous season. He continued to find the net, all the time guiding the Red Devils towards a decisive lead in the race for the league title.

Ronaldo's double against Bolton on March 19 saw him claim his 33rd goal of the season to set a new club scoring record for a midfielder, overtaking George Best's mark of 32 set 40 years previously.

By May his goals had led the Old Trafford side to retain their Premier League crown, two points ahead of fierce rivals Chelsea, and the teams met again in the Champions League final in May. It was only fitting the Portuguese opened the scoring in Moscow as United, albeit after extra time and penalties, clinched the double.