Cristiano Ronaldo beat out Lionel Messi, Xavi, Fernando Torres, and last year’s winner Kaka, to win the FIFA World Player of the Year Award with a total of 935 vote points. In second place was Barcelona star Lionel Messi with 678, and Liverpool striker Fernando Torres finished third with 203. AC Milan star Kaka was fourth with 183, and Barcelona’s Xavi fifth with 155.

Ronaldo had an incredible 2007/08 season, scoring 42 goals for Manchester United, and taking the Premier League, Champions League and European Golden Boot. He followed this up this term by lifting the Club World Cup in Japan.

Ronaldo also won the prestigious Ballon d’Or (European Footballer of the Year) at the end of 2008. The 23-year-old is the first English-based player to be named FIFA World Player of the Year.

Cristiano Ronaldo could soon be adding World Player of the Year award to the European Ballon d’Or to his resume after being named to FIFA’s five-man shortlist. Ronaldo’s incredible scoring rate has him set in a sweet position for the award.

The Manchester United winger was confirmed as Europe’s best last week for scoring 42 goals and helping his side to the Premier League and Champions League double. Ronaldo’s primary competition will be coming from Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.

Spain’s European Championship winners Fernando Torres and Xavi have also been shortlisted with last year’s winner Kaka. World governing body FIFA get coaches and captains of national teams from around the world to nominate for the annual award.

Portugal became the first team to reach the quarterfinals of soccer’s European Championship as co- host Switzerland was beaten with an injury-time goal.

Portugal, seeking its first major title, beat the Czech Republic 3-1 in Geneva yesterday after Cristiano Ronaldo scored one goal and assisted on another. Deco, Ronaldo and Ricardo Quaresma scored for Portugal yesterday, with Libor Sionko getting one for the Czech Republic. Its qualification for the last eight was assured when Turan’s shot gave Turkey the victory over the Swiss in Basel.

Portugal, the runner-up four years ago, has six points from two matches. The Czech Republic and Turkey are three points behind and meet June 15 in the final group game. Switzerland has lost both its games and will not finish in the top two.

Manchester United won the Champions League by beating Chelsea 6-5 on penalties after a tight 1-1 draw. Cristiano Ronaldo headed United in front after 26 minutes but Frank Lampard evened out before the interval. Ronaldo missed his penalty, but John Terry hit the post with a kick that would have won it for Chelsea and Edwin van der Sar saved from Nicolas Anelka. Terry had to be consoled by boss Avram Grant as he broke down in tears after missing the shot that would have given his side the win.

It sparked crazy celebrations for Alex Ferguson and his players in the Moscow rain as Man U won Europe’s trophy for the third time, a triumph made more emotional as it came 50 years on from the Munich air crash. Ferguson had made it his mission to take the trophy back to Manchester this year in memory of those who died in the tragedy of February 1958. And it gave the 66-year-old Scot his second Champions League triumph, repeating the success against Bayern Munich in Barcelona in 1999.

The penalty shoot-out topped off an exciting game with passages of play of the highest degree, with United dominating the first half but Chelsea showing huge reserves after the break.