Cristiano Ronaldo wins FIFA World Footballer of the Year
ZURICH (AFP) – Manchester United and Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo was on Monday named FIFA World Footballer of the Year for 2008. Ronaldo, who is also holder of the prestigious Ballon d'Or for the European Footballer of the Year, beat off competition from 2007 winner Kaka (Brazil), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Fernando Torres (Spain) and Xavi (Spain). "It's an overwhelming moment in my career and I'd like to dedicate this award to my family, friends and colleagues," he said. "Winning the Champions League for me was the most memorable moment of 2008," added Ronaldo, who scored in the final but missed a penalty in the penalty shootout against Chelsea. Ronaldo went out of his way to heap praise on United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, with whom relations became strained during last summer over whether he was going to leave the club for Real Madrid. "It's also true that the manager always has an important role to play," said Ronaldo. "It was