Ronaldo, Cristiano (1985– )

Portuguese footballer. His dribbling skills and goal-scoring prowess have quickly made him one of the most exciting young players of his generation. He made his professional debut playing for Sporting Lisbon and signed for Manchester United in 2003, where he helped the club win the FA Cup in his first season. In 2007, he won the Premier League title. The following year, Ronaldo scored a remarkable 42 goals in all competitions as Manchester United retained the league title and also won the UEFA Champions League.

In 2006, he scored a goal in the final as Manchester United beat Wigan to win the League Cup, but it was not until the following season that he developed into one of the best players in the world. He scored 23 goals in all competitions, despite playing mainly as a midfielder, and won the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year, and Fans' Player of the Year, as well as being voted the Football Writers' Association (FWA) Footballer of the Year and the Portuguese Footballer of the Year. In 2008, he was again voted both the PFA Player of the Year and the FWA Footballer of the Year.

Career highlights International appearances (2003– ) 58 (21 goals)

English League Championship 2007, 2008

English FA Cup 2004

English League Cup 2006

European Cup 2008

Awards Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year 2007

Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year 2007, 2008

Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year 2007, 2008

Although Manchester United's manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, had been tracking Ronaldo for some time, he was finally persuaded by his own players to buy Ronaldo from Sporting Lisbon after a friendly between the two clubs. He published an illustrated memoir, Moments in 2007.