Ronaldo Voted Best Player In World - (442)

RONALDO NO.1 IN FOURFOURTWO`S 100 BEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD

Manchester United and Portugal Man O' War Cristiano Ronaldo has been crowned the Best Player in the World in FourFourTwo magazine`s annual countdown of the top 100 footballers on the planet.

The mercurial winger pipped Barcelona`s pocket-sized genius Lionel Messi and Spain`s Euro 2008 goal assassin Fernando Torres to top spot.

Last year`s winner, midfield maestro Kaka (AC Milan and Brazil), crossed the line in fifth.

'There were other contenders, but ultimately Ronaldo`s personal achievements, coupled with his team`s success, secured him the No.1 spot,' said FourFourTwo editor-in-chief Hugh Sleight.

Few could argue with Ronaldo`s place at the top of the pile. The former Sporting Lisbon player hit 42 goals last season to help the Red Devils lift the Premier League and Champions League titles.

On a personal level he scooped the PFA Player of the Year and Football Writers` Footballer of the Year awards and he will hope to add the European Footballer of the Year and FIFA World Player of the Year awards to his collection next month.

The Premier League`s presence in the list further illustrates the strength of England`s domestic league.

An incredible 31 players feature in the top 100, more than any other country. Spain`s Primera Liga has 30 representatives and Italy`s Serie A 23.

'It won`t surprise anyone to see Ronaldo named No.1,' added Sleight. 'What`s arguably of more interest to football fans is who finishes from two to 100 which is why we produce such an extensive list.

'We knew when we got into this that we`d be stirring up a hornet`s nest. Most fans could waste a day arguing whether Steven Gerrard is better than Frank Lampard or vice versa, so imagine what it`s like trying to rank 100 players in order. But we`re confident that our 100 stands up to scrutiny.'

The Premier League Players In The Top Ten Of FourFourTwo`s 100 Best Players in the World:

1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
9. Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United)
10. Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

For the full top 10: www.fourfourtwo.com

Find out the full 100 Best Players in the World in the new issue of FourFourTwo, out today

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