Zurich  - Manchester United's Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo, who last month won the European Footballer of the Year, was on Monday named FIFA World Footballer of the Year 2008.

Ronaldo, 23, who made history by becoming the first Premier League-based player to win the award, convincingly beat Argentine striker Lionel Messi in second place.

Third place in the voting conducted by national team coaches and captains went to Liverpool's Spanish striker Fernando Torres.

London, Jan 10 : Ace Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo has reached a verbal agreement with Florentino Pérez, the former Real Madrid president, to join the Spanish club.

Ronaldo made this agreement through his agent Jorge Mendes. It is understood that Pérez will use this promise when he stands for election as Real president in 2010, The Times reported.

There is a growing conviction in Madrid that the Manchester United and Portugal forward will sign for the Spanish champions at some point, a view reiterated by Pepe, the Real defender who is a Portugal teammate of Ronaldo.

"He has shown he wants to come here with the statements he has made. We'll see if he still desires to join us this summer," Pepe said.

London, January 9 : Manchester United football star Cristiano Ronaldo, who has destroyed his 193,000-pound Ferrari only two days after getting it, now faces a police probe into how fast he was driving at the time of accident.

The investigators will try to determine how fast the 205mph car was going when it careered across a dual carriageway before hitting a barrier inside a tunnel under Manchester Airport, say reports.

London, Jan 3: Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has asked his ace striker Cristiano Ronaldo to stop retaliating against his opponents on the field, because the spotlight is always on him.

The Portuguese star has been involved in a number of controversial incidents of late after being fouled.

Ronaldo has kicked out at Scott Brown of the Celtic, the Spurs' Michael Dawson and Stoke's Andy Wilkinson. This week he had a tunnel bust-up with Middlesbrough defender Emanuel Pogatetz, The Sun reported.

London, Jan. 2: Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo has dismissed fresh speculation linking him with the Spanish football club Real Madrid.

The Manchester United ace came close to joining the Spanish giants last summer.

Ronaldo insisted that he is happy with life at Old Trafford and has no intention of turning his back on boss Alex Ferguson.

London, Jan. 2: Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo has dismissed fresh speculation linking him with the Spanish football club Real Madrid.

The Manchester United ace came close to joining the Spanish giants last summer.

Ronaldo insisted that he is happy with life at Old Trafford and has no intention of turning his back on boss Alex Ferguson.