Ronaldo began his career as a youth player at C.D. Nacional and his successes with the team led to a move to Sporting two seasons afterwards. Ronaldo's precocious talent caught the attention of Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and he signed the 18-year-old for £12.24 million in 2003. He earned his first cap for the Portuguese national team around the same time. He won his first club honour, the FA Cup, the following season and reached the final of the UEFA Euro 2004 with Portugal, scoring his first international goal in the process.
The next three years saw Ronaldo rising to global prominence, scoring frequently at both club and international level and receiving various awards for his accomplishments. The 2006–07 season brought him his first Premier League title. The following season at Manchester United, 2007–08, was his best yet as he retained the Premier League and won his first UEFA Champions League, the highest European club honour. Additionally, he was the Premier League's top scorer, won the European Golden Shoe, and was named the FIFPro World Player of the Year 2008.[2] On 2 December, Ronaldo was awarded the 2008 Ballon d'Or.[3]
Johan Cruijff said in an interview on 2 April 2008, "Ronaldo is better than George Best and Denis Law, who were two brilliant and great players in the history of United."[4]
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