Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the finalists for the first FIFA Ferenc Puskas Award

Real Madrid speedy winger Cristiano Ronaldo is among the finalists for the first FIFA Ferenc Puskas Award – that will be bestowed upon the player from either the men’s or women’s game judged to have scored the best goal of the year.

The winner will be unveiled at the FIFA World Player gala on Dec 12, where he or she will receive the FIFA Puskas Award trophy, with their name engraved upon it.

The Portugal international is on the shortlist for the Champions League quarterfinal goal he scored last season against Porto; a goal from 35 meters out that sent his former club Manchester United through to the semis. Voting will close at 12 noon CET on Monday 14 December.

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka are also both FIFA Wolrd Player candidates and the last two players to win the award. Teammates Xabi Alonso, Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Karim Benzema and Pepe are among the nominees for the FIFA/FIFpro World XI.

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Cristiano Ronaldo is the fastest in the world

"Is it a bird? Is it a plane?...No, it's Cristiano Ronaldo."
The Portuguese flyer is the fastest elite player in world football according to a study conducted by the weekly German magazine Der Spiegel. The study indicates that, in his boots, Cristiano Ronaldo is the fastest elite player in the world, reaching an average speed of 33.6 kilometres per hour (20.88 mph), a quality he uses to full effect by blowing past defenders. According to the study, Ronaldo supercedes Bayern Munich's Arjen Robben (32.9 kph), Arsenal's Theo Walcott (32.7 kph), Manchester United's Wayne Rooney (32.6 kph) and Arsenal's Robin Van Persie (32.1 kph). Barcelona's Balon d'Or winner Lionel Messi did not rate amongst the top five fastest players. CR9's blazing pace has already been well documented, former coach Sir Alex Ferguson having claimed that "Ronaldo is just as fast with the ball as he is without it... maybe even faster". Should he train with his good friend and multi world-record holding sprinter Usain Bolt, Cristiano could soon further increase his speed as he has expressed interest in working with the Jamaican and has already received advice from the sprinter with respect to efficiently using one's centre of gravity.

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Ronaldo says sorry

Cristiano Ronaldo plans to learn a lesson from his red card against Almeria on Saturday.

The Portuguese, starting his first home match in more than two months having recovered from an ankle injury, was at the centre of a hugely-eventful match that Real eventually won 4-2.

Ronaldo scored Real's last goal and also won and then missed a penalty before picking up two yellow cards in the final four minutes.

The first was for removing his shirt in celebration of his goal and then, soon after, he was shown a second yellow card for kicking Juanma Ortiz.

Ronaldo told AS: "Taking off my shirt was an instinctive reaction. I know that I made a mistake but I'm human. I didn't want to do it.

"These are things that happen in football and I hope to learn from them. I've apologised to my team-mates."

Real coach Manuel Pellegrini has defended Cristiano Ronaldo, telling the club's official website: "It's a shame that he saw a yellow card for taking his shirt off; he should have avoided that.

"His double booking was fair because he took his shirt off and because he was involved in a series of fouls.

"He is nevertheless a creative player who doesn't deserve to be sent off; other players make many more fouls and never see a red card."

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Ronaldo is given a new car

Cristiano Ronaldo's Manchester United teammates bought their mate a children's pedal car to replace the winger's destroyed car. Ronaldo crashed his two-day-old Ferrari 599GTB just over a week ago on his way to a team practice.

Since the accident, Ronaldo has been driving a £140,000 Bentley Continental GT Speed. Man U players, apparently sick of hearing the Portugese star go on and on about his totaled £200,000 Italian supercar, bought the toy and parked it next to the Bentley.

Ronaldo appreciated the joke, laughing hysterically upon seeing the toy. “All the lads were laughing as he scooped it up and put it in the back of his car. It put a smile on his face—and he said he’ll give it to a local hospital or good cause,” a source told London paper News of the World.

Ronaldo, who earns £110,000 per week, decided to get the Ferrari fixed instead of waiting for a new one. The waiting list for a Ferrari 599 GTB is over one year.

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Sir Alex Ferguson - in an effort to boost Ronaldo's confidence.

Cristiano Ronaldo, named as the best footballer on the planet only last week, was given Carling Cup duty against Championship side Derby by Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson - in an effort to boost his confidence.

Mike Phelan, Ferguson’s No 2, revealed it was a deliberate strategy to name the out-of-sorts Portugal star as a substitute in order to give him a much-needed lift.

The winger scored 42 times last season but he had not managed a domestic goal
since his double in the 5-0 win over Stoke on November 15.

Phelan said: ‘We had a plan to get Cristiano on the pitch and hopefully give him the chance to score.

'It worked for us, he scored the penalty, so his confidence is up there again.’

Ronaldo has been shaken by a recent car crash in which he wrote off a new ?200,000 Ferrari on the way to training.

Old Trafford spectators were astonished to see the world and European player of
the year join Tuesday night’s action after 57 minutes in the semi-final second leg with United 3-0 ahead.

It finished 4-2, with United winning 4-3 on aggregate.

Ronaldo, valued at ?80million by United in their battle to fend off Real Madrid, ended his nine-match drought by scoring the fourth from the spot after Carlos Tevez was fouled by keeper Roy Carroll.

Reaching the Carling Cup Final on March 1 will mean postponing a league clash against Portsmouth and puts more pressure on United’s demanding four-pronged
bid for silverware after a night of injury misery.

Anderson was carried off after United used all their substitutes and the wounded included Nani, Rafael, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville.

Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra and Wes Brown are already sidelined.

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Cristiano Ronaldo High Quality Photos

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Cristiano Ronaldo voted Player of the Year by UEFA

Last week, Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo was elected Champions League’s best striker and overall best player for the 2007/2008 season, after helping Manchester United claim victory in the most competitive club football tournament in the world.
The prize was awarded during the group draws for UEFA Champions League 2008/2009.
United’s number 7 had a dream season last year, winning the Premiership’s best player of the year, the ‘Golden Boot’ (31 goals), and helping the ‘red devils’ take the Premiership and Champions League trophies home. More awards are expected for the Portuguese winger this year as he is the favourite for winning the ‘Golden Ball’ as well as FIFA’s Player of the Year.

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Ronaldo Promises To Give His All For Manchester United

Having flirted with the possibility of leaving Manchester United for Real Madrid for most of the summer, Cristiano Ronaldo today pledged to put his heart and soul into helping the Red Devils achieve further glory in 2008-09.
Portugal international Ronaldo dismayed many United by initially refusing to confirm that he wanted to stay to honour his contract at Old Trafford after being linked with Real Madrid, who made no secret of their wish to lure the winger to the Bernabeu.
But United held firm, manager Sir Alex Ferguson proved more persuasive in the end, and Real were disappointed.
The 23-year-old Ronaldo, nearing a return to action following ankle surgery, has now admitted he was 'naïve' with his comments over the summer, and confessed that if United had not beaten Chelsea in a penalty shoot-out in the Champions League final, he would not have even considered seeking a fresh challenge.
"What I said publicly, which was maybe a little bit naïve, I take total responsibility for," he told Inside United magazine.
"I just said what I thought: I have a dream of playing at Real and I thought it was time to move on. People can't be upset about me fulfilling a child-hood dream.
"I knew Real were interested in me and they had, allegedly, made a substantial offer. For a while, I wanted United to accept.
"If we hadn't been European champions, I probably wouldn't have thought about going to Madrid. I never wanted to go against United's will.
"I'm 100 per cent professional and have always given my heart and soul to this club.
"If one day I leave, I want to do it knowing I did everything I could to help the club win as much as possible."

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Ferguson unconcerned by Manchester City threat

Sir Alex Ferguson is unconcerned by the threat posed by local rivals Manchester City following their takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group for Development and Investment. The Manchester United manager was speaking following a two-day meeting of Europe's top coaches at the Swiss headquarters of European soccer's governing body Uefa.
"I can't be worried," he said of his neighbours' new position as the world's richest club. "We have a good setup ourselves and we've been working to build up the team we've got, so we just have to carry on. There are always challenges in football, some years ago it was Chelsea and some years ago it was Arsenal and wherever the challenge comes from we have to accept it. So it doesn't change anything."
Ferguson also poured scorn on suggestions that City would make a move for Cristiano Ronaldo in the January transfer window. Dr Sulaiman Al-Fahim, head of the Abu Dhabi United Group, had suggested that he was prepared to pay £135m for the Portugal winger but, having already seen off the advances from Real Madrid for Ronaldo, Ferguson wasn't prepared to take City's interest too seriously. "They can talk," he said.
While most managers would dream have having the funds that are now at the disposal of Manchester City boss Mark Hughes, Ferguson had some sympathy for his former player. "For a young manager it must be difficult," Ferguson said. "You can't judge it from when I started, it is a completely different world now. I am at the tail-end of my career. I've been through all these change so it doesn't faze me."

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Ronaldo:"I stay at Machester"

Real Madrid president Ramón Calderón has made no secret of his wish to sign Ronaldo, having stated to the press that the ex-Sporting man would be a welcome addition at Santiago Bernabéu.But Ronaldo has now guaranteed that he will stay at Old Trafford at least one more season, thus confirming Sir Alex Ferguson's allegations in which he stressed the affair to be a "closed case"."Ferguson heard my arguments, I heard his and, in fact, it was settled that the best for both parties would be for me to stay. Therefore, I can confirm that, next season, I will play for Manchester United," he told Publico."And, before rumours emerge saying that I will play against my will, I want to make this clear: whoever says or writes that is lying. I will play for Manchester with all my heart and soul. I will fight and honour that shirt with the same commitment and dedication as always."Ronaldo has also taken the blame for this transfer saga, which lasted for several months and damaged Manchester United's relationship with Real Madrid."I want to assume the responsibility for all this controversy," Ronaldo added. "It was not their fault because I was the one who publicly expressed my desire to go to Real Madrid. I ended up being, even involuntarily, the responsible one for the poor relationship between the two clubs."He further added that his dream of playing for the Merengues is real and does not close the door on a future move to Santiago Bernabéu."I knew that Real Madrid were interested in signing me and that they had allegedly made a very high offer to Manchester United. My desire was, for some time, that Manchester had accepted my transfer to Madrid. Saying otherwise would be to trick people and my own consciousness," he noted.

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Van Nistelrooy - Ronaldo talk too much

Ruud van Nistelrooy admits Real Madrid's preparations for the new season have been hampered by constant speculation over the future of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Whether or not the winger will follow Van Nistelrooy's path from Manchester United to the Bernabeu has been the hottest topic of sporting debate in Britain and Spain this summer.
"It got a bit too far maybe, it is such an issue at the moment in Spain. It gets a bit over the top," Van Nistelrooy told BBC Radio Five Live's Sportsweek programme.
"A couple of our players, they made the comment that there was only talk about him and not about the current team and stars, and everybody's waiting for the next rumour without anything concrete."
After United manager Sir Alex Ferguson recently appeared to end any question of Ronaldo leaving for Madrid, reports on Sunday morning claim the Portuguese is ready to demand a move in face-to-face talks this week.
Real coach Bernd Schuster has admitted that the club have not given up hope of luring Ronaldo to the Bernabeu.
But whatever happens to his most prized asset, Ferguson can seemingly rest assured that the protracted saga has had the effect of destabilising one of his club's biggest rivals for this season's Champions League crown.
Asked whether he expected Ronaldo to stay at Old Trafford for the forthcoming campaign, Van Nistelrooy added: "I think so, if you hear the statements from United. It doesn't really sound like they'll let him go."

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Cantona:Ronaldo would be 'stupid' to choose Madrid

Eric Cantona reckons Cristiano Ronaldo would be "bloody stupid" to quit Manchester United and join Real Madrid.
The Old Trafford legend says the winger's style is perfectly suited to Sir Alex Ferguson's side.
Cantona, who spent six glorious seasons with United before retiring in 1997, said: "He is still young, and so maybe he wants to take on fresh challenges. I can understand if this is the reason why he wants to leave for Real.
"But if he were to leave because of something else, he would be doing something absolutely bloody stupid."

The Frenchman, 42, also declared his aim to become United's manager one day.
He said: "It would be a huge honour for me to become Manchester United's coach - it would be marvellous."

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Pepe To Ronaldo: We're All Waiting For You

Despite Manchester United's continued insistence that they will not let Ronaldo leave for any price, Madrid's pursuit of the player has shown no signs of relenting.Now, one of Ronaldo's mates in the Portuguese national side has publicly appealed for the 42-goal man to join him at the Bernabeu, saying that he would immediately be accepted as one of the family."It's normal he wants to come. If he comes to Madrid he'll be welcomed by everyone," Pepe was quoted as saying by The Sun."The directors, players and fans welcome you here - Cristiano won't have a problem."He has said many times that he likes Madrid. He knows the great history of Madrid and the club that it is."

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Cristiano Ronaldo Wallpapers [Part 1]

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Cristiano Ronaldo refused to say sorry for claiming to be a football Slave

CRISTIANO RONALDO has refused to say sorry for claiming he is a football slave.The Manchester United winger was handed the opportunity to retract his statement as he recovered from ankle surgery.But Ronaldo, 23, instead chose to whine about “the worst injury of my career”.He said: “I don’t want to speak about that again. I’ve said all I had to say.“I only want to recover from my injury.“This is the worst injury of my career but I’m optimistic. I hope the treatment goes well so I can start training earlier.”Ronaldo’s refusal to apologise is likely to distance himself further from the United fans who have grown tired of hearing about his “dream” of playing for Real Madrid.The £120,000-a-week Portuguese ace seized on comments made by FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who claimed Ron should be allowed to leave United and that making him stay was like slavery.But Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp insists Blatter is talking complete rubbish.He said: “For Blatter to say that when players are earning what they are is absolute nonsense. It’s plain crazy.”

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Kaka Tips Ronaldo As World's Best

Kaka, who won both the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year Awards in 2007, has tipped the Manchester United winger to replace him as the world’s best player after the Portuguese star helped his side to a Premier League and Champions League double.
Ronaldo enjoyed a remarkable season last time out scoring 42 goals in all competitions and picking up the PFA Player of the Year Award.
Now, the Brazilian Kaka has revealed he thinks Ronaldo will replace him as the world’s best player. Speaking to the media, he said: “I believe that the number one candidate is still Cristiano Ronaldo, above all for what he did and won in the Champions League with Manchester United.”
Ronaldo scored the opening goal in the Champions League final against Chelsea and although the Blues equalised and the game ended level, Manchester United triumphed on penalties.
Whilst Ronaldo came third in the 2007 poll behind Kaka and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, Kaka confessed that he doesn’t expect to top the lists again this year. AC Milan suffered a disappointing campaign in Serie A last season finishing fifth but a massive 36 points behind champions and city neighbours Inter.
Despite this, Kaka revealed he was looking forward to the new season and a chance to improve on last season’s poor league form.
“For me there's still half a season, so we'll see,” said Kaka before adding, “It will be a different season with lots of new inspirations.”

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Ronaldo: Queiroz Perfect For Portugal

Portuguese megastar Cristiano Ronaldo is convinced that Carlos Queiroz is just the right man to lead Portugal to the international success that has so long eluded them.
Queiroz will succeed Luiz Felipe Scolari, now Chelsea manager, as boss of the Seleccao after United this week agreed to release him from his duties as Sir Alex Ferguson’s assistant.

Ronaldo, who has come to know Queiroz as something of a father figure at Old Trafford, was clearly delighted to be guaranteed to be able to continue to play under him in the future.

"He is a perfect choice," Ronaldo trumpeted to Portuguese broadcaster RTP. "I have been working with him for some time and I just have to say that he is very good for this job."

Ronaldo, however, did not appreciate to be asked to elaborate on recent comments he made backing FIFA president Sepp Blatter's controversial claim that Manchester United are treating him like a slave.

"I'm not not going to talk about this anymore. This situation is tiresome," Ronaldo was quoted as saying by www.setantasports.com.

Big questionmarks still remain about the future of Ronaldo, who was recently ruled out for up to three months after undergoing ankle surgery.

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Beckham: Ronaldo faces hardest decision of his life

LONDON (AFP) — David Beckham believes Cristiano Ronaldo faces the hardest decision of his life as the Manchester United winger contemplates a move to Real Madrid.
Beckham was in the same position as Ronaldo in 2003 when he quit United to join Real and the England star admitted he found it tough to walk away from Old Trafford.
Ronaldo must decide whether to push United to sell him after making it clear he wants to move to the Spanish champions and Beckham is convinced the Portugal international has been struggling to make his choice.
"Playing for Manchester United was my dream but so was playing for Real. It was an incredibly difficult choice to make and I'm sure it is the same for Cristiano," Beckham told the Sun.
"When I left Manchester United the only other club I wanted to play for was Real Madrid.
"Living in Madrid and playing for Madrid - there's not many better clubs than that apart from Manchester United, which is equal. But to have those two choices is good for him."

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Real Madrid tell Rafael Nadal: Cristiano Ronaldo will sign

Cristiano Ronaldo's future at Manchester United has taken yet another twist with the news Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal received personal assurances from Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon that the Portugal international will sign for the Spanish club.

According to reports, Nadal, the fervent Real Madrid supporter was told by Calderon that Ronaldo's move to the Bernabeu is "done and dusted", following the epic five-set championship win over Roger Federer at SW19.
It is understood Nadal asked Calderon: "OK, President, where's this Cristiano Ronaldo we are supposed to be signing?"
This prompted a confident response from the Real president who boasted to Nadal: "Relax, Rafa, everything's under control. We've got him done and dusted."
The news will undoubtedly anger leading officials at Old Trafford once again, doing little to improve the strained relationship between the two leading European clubs. On Monday, Calderon avoided a potentially embarrassing confrontation with United chief executive David Gill in Nyon by opting to fly to Madrid for a board meeting instead.

Yet while Real continue to claim Ronaldo will sign for them, United have been equally bullish over the Portugal winger's future, maintaining Ronaldo will remain a Manchester United player.
Ronaldo, 23, is expected to miss the start of the new season after medics ordered him to rest for a month following his recent ankle surgery in Holland.
However, other reports suggest that Ronaldo informed a well-wishing supporter who sneaked into his room at the Amsterdam hospital, where the player rested after his operation, that he was relishing a new beginning in Spain.
According to the fan David Jolly, Ronaldo said to him: "I hope I'll be as good in Spain as I was in England."

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Cristiano Ronaldo likely to miss start of Premier League season after ankle surgery

MANCHESTER, England: Ankle surgery will likely keep Cristiano Ronaldo from starting the season with Manchester United.
The Portugal winger is set to be operated on next week after playing with pain over the final two months of the English season and through the European Championship. The Premier League season starts in mid-August.
Despite talk of a transfer to Real Madrid, the 23-year-old Ronaldo appears likely to stay with United, which won the Premier League and Champions League last season. Ronaldo has not submitted a transfer request.

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