Cristiano Ronaldo Santos Aveiro is undoubtedly one of the hottest talents in world football. With his surging runs and dazzling skills performed at blistering pace, comparisons with his Brazilian namesake have been inevitable.

Born on the island of Madeira on 5 February 1985, he began his footballing formation with Nacional before a 2002 transfer to Lisbon giants Sporting, at the age of 17. The winger's rise to stardom since then has been nothing short of meteoric. During his first and only season with the club in 2002/03, he played in 25 games and scored three goals.

Arguably the key moment of Cristiano Ronaldo's career was a pre-season friendly in 2003 between Sporting and Manchester United. Scouts at the English club had been monitoring the youngster's progress for some time, but it was only after he starred in the Portuguese club's 3-1 friendly win that United manager Sir Alex Ferguson decided to make his move and sign him.

Ferguson later revealed that in the dressing room after the game his players talked constantly about the young Ronaldo. Even on the plane journey back to Manchester, the United players pleaded with their boss to sign the young star. Other big teams such as Milan and Juventus made enquiries with the Lisbon club over a possible move, but Manchester United were quickest to act, and within a week had officially announced the signing of Portugal's latest sensation for £12.24m - a world record fee for a teenager at the time.

Undaunted by his star billing and the price tag, Ronaldo showed off his full range of trickery on his Manchester United debut against Bolton Wanderers in August 2003, making an immediate impression on the Old Trafford fans. In his first campaign in England, he scored eight goals in 39 games, including the opener in United's 2004 FA Cup final win. His string of fine displays culminated in him receiving the club's player of the year award.

Ronaldo has been equally impressive at international level, and is highly regarded by national team boss Luiz Felipe Scolari. Scolari's belief in the youngster was rewarded with Ronaldo's excellent performances in UEFA EURO 2004, despite the team's eventual defeat in the final against surprise champions Greece. During the tournament, Ronaldo became an established first-team regular as well as the star performer in a team that would go on to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™ and UEFA EURO 2008 with the minimum amount of fuss.

At Germany 2006, he dazzled defences and fans alike with a series of fine displays. He held his nerve to score against England in a penalty shoot-out as Portugal reached the semi-finals for the first time since 1966.

Ronaldo game goes from strength to strength with every passing season as he gains more experience on the domestic and international stages. His repertoire of tricks and array of skills continue to leave opposition defenders and fans all over the world mesmerised.

The year 2007 has proven to be a vintage one for the young midfielder. Not only was he part of the Manchester United team that won the Premier League title, scoring 17 goals in the process, but he also collected a host of awards including the PFA Players' Player of the Year, PFA Young Player of the Year, PFA Fans' Player of the Year, the Football Writers' Association award, as well as the Premier League's Player of the Season and Portugal's Footballer of the Year award.

The FIFA World Player of the Year Award would be a welcome addition to the 22-year-old's trophy cabinet and would further emphasise the fact that the Portuguese has successfully made the transition from being a player with potential to a star in his own right.