Cristiano Ronaldo hailed "one of the most beautiful days of my life" and vowed to keep improving after winning the prestigious Ballon d'Or award in the early hours of the morning. Ronaldo was named as Kaka's successor at 2am this morning after convincingly seeing off competition from Lionel Messi and Fernando Torres.
Of the 96 top journalists polled by France Footballmagazine, 77 voted the Portugal winger as their number one player this year and every one placed him in their top five after he scored 42 goals in United's Barclays Premier League and Champions League winning season.
He polled a massive 446 points from a maximum 480, finishing comfortably ahead of second-placed Messi (281) and third-placed Torres (179).
In so doing the 23-year-old becomes the third Portuguese player to lift the famous trophy - after legendary pair Eusebio and Luis Figo - and joins fellow Red Devils George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton in taking the gong.
A total of 11 Barclays Premier League players earned votes, with England internationals Steven Gerrard (ninth), Wayne Rooney (13th) and Frank Lampard (15th) flying the flag for England.
Despite the good showing for the the division, Ronaldo is just the second England-based player to win the award since Best in 1968. Michael Owen, in 2001, is the other.
