Cristiano Ronaldo 2014

Cristiano RONALDO

Untouchable…Cristiano RonaldoUntouchable…Cristiano Ronaldo has simply been unstoppablehas simply been unstoppable

Individual Individual brilliance brilliance shines shines through

Cristiano ristiano Ronaldo is naldo is Wo Wor ld r ld Soccer’Soccer’s World Playes World Player of r of th the Year for the second e Year for the second year running after a brilliantar running after a brilliant 12 12 months for Real Madrid, who won months for Real Madrid, who won th their tenth European Cup in May, witheir tenth European Cup in May, with th the Portuguese forward scoring in thee Portuguese forward scoring in the 4-1 victory ove4-1 victory over Atletico Madrid in the r Atletico Madrid in the final in Lisbon.

Ro Ronaldo, who won the a naldo, who won the awa ward rd in 2008 in 2008 while playing for Manchestewhile playing for Manchester United, r United, saw off competition from several ofsaw off competition from several of Germany ’s victorious World Cup side, asGermany ’s victorious World Cup side, as we well ll as his La Liga rival, Argentina star as his La Liga rival, Argentina star Lionel Messi, who finished in third place. Lionel Messi, who finished in third place.

Germany,Germany, not surprisingly, claimed not surprisingly, claimed th the World Team of the Year award,e World Team of the Year award, afteafter their victory over their victory over Argr Argentina in entina in the the Wo World rld Cu Cup final and an ext p final and an extra raordinary ordinary 7-1 demolition of Brazil in the semi-7-1 demolition of Brazil in the semifi final. Their coach nal. Their coach Joachim Low Joachim Low is is Wo World rld Ma Manager of the Year, finishing ahead nager of the Year, finishing ahead of Diego Simeone of Atletico Madrid.of Diego Simeone of Atletico Madrid.

AgainstAgainst At Atletico Madrid in the letico Madrid in the Champions League final was where the Champions League final was where the 20132013-14 season ended for Ronaldo.-14 season ended for Ronaldo. Bu But it begun t it begun back in t back in the summer in he summer in pre-season tpre-season tra raining in the USAining in the USA when when he picked up the ball, sprinted past an opponent and thumped a shot into the net before turning to the bench

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as if to say: “Did you see that?” Onas if to say: “Did you see that?” On th the bench were Real Madrid coache bench were Real Madrid coach Ca Carlo rlo Ancelotti, and club presidentcelotti, and club president Florentino Florentino Pere rez. And, yes, theyz. And, yes, they had seen it.had seen it. Ancelotti sh celotti shrugged gged and smiled. What and smiled. What can you do? can you do? The answer, Ronaldo hoped, The answer, Ronaldo hoped, wa was play him, of course.s play him, of course.

Ma Madrid’s season was about todrid’s season was about to start andstart and Ro Ronaldo was determined tonaldo was determined to play.play. The club The club wa wanted to be cautious, nted to be cautious, doctors had advised them to take things slowly, and Ancelotti tried to rein Ronaldo in. But there he was, out to

prove he wasprove he was re ready. And when heady. And when he does things like that, it ’s hard todoes things like that, it’s hard to argue. Ronaldo’s ambition remains argue. Ronaldo’s ambition remains limitless, the appetite voracious.limitless, the appetite voracious.

In the closing weeks of last season,In the closing weeks of last season,

Ro Ronaldo was not fully fit and he wasnaldo was not fully fit and he was unable to make the impact he would unable to make the impact he would have liked on the Worldhave liked on the World Cu Cup. He scored p. He scored just once, against Ghana, and Portugaljust once, against Ghana, and Portugal we went out in the group stage. His Worldnt out in the group stage. His World Cu Cup record reads three goals: one inp record reads three goals: one in 2006, a penalty against Iran, when he was named the tournament ’s Best Young Player, one in 2010 against

Celebrating… Ronaldo after Real’s fourth goal in the Champions League final

North Korea, the seventh in a 7-0 win, and that one against Ghana. At times against the USA this summer it was hard to watch, yet it was impressive too, he could hardly move, yet he still provided a stunning cross for the goal.

Perhaps he should have stopped, but he wouldn’t stop. He had missed the Copa del Rey final and he was not going to miss any more games, playing through the pain, determined. He scored in the Champions League final, the decima had arrived, in Lisbon. And although Brazil will have hurt Ronaldo, not least because it could prove to be his last World Cup, it is a measure of just how brilliant he has been over the past 12 months that it did not count against him in Wor ld Soccer’s vote – it is rare indeed for our winner in a World Cup year to not be a World Cup winner.

Besides, success in Lisbon will never be taken from him. Moreover, he had been the tournament’s top scorer, setting a new Champions League record, and Brazil would also have made him even more determined to leave it behind this season, to prove he is still the world’s best player. And so there he was back for the start of a new season, belting in goals in front of his coach and proving a point.

Ronaldo was still not quite ready, though, and three weeks in he was

forced to miss the game versus Real Sociedad – Madrid lost – and dedicate a fortnight to getting fit. When he came back, he immediately scored and he hasn’t stopped since.

If the ambition can at times be problematic, it is what makes Cristiano Ronaldo what he is. The relentless pursuit of more, and more, and more, lies behind his success. When he collected the ESM Golden Shoe prize, Ronaldo announced that he aspires to be the best player in history. He means it, too. And even if he does not make it, the pursuit will provide the impetus to keep on improving.

Ronaldo does not want anything, or anyone, to get in his way. Gerard Pique has described him as a “machine”. It was seen by some as a backhanded compliment but it is the ultimate compliment.

“If he wins the World Player award, it will be almost boring,” said Bayern Munich’s Thomas Muller. That too is a compliment. Ronaldo never gets bored. The pursuit of perfection, the constant pushing of the boundaries, the fine tuning, drive him. He can always do more. He is the world’s best player, convinced of his talent, but he works like a player who thinks he is no good and must try harder than all the rest.

Ronaldo’s success has not fallen into his lap, the physique and the technique have been worked on, over and over. His game has evolved and become more complete just as his body has changed. He has kept on improving and learning, even those who cannot bring themselves to like him cannot help but admire him. Even his team-mates, professionals at the top of their game, think he is different.

“He really manages himself well,” says Paul Clement, Real Madrid’s assistant coach. “I remember one game where we came back at three in the morning and he went to have

an ice bath. Another example six in the morning, we had come back from Istanbul and there’s the physio giving him a rub down”.

“It’s hard to know what to say about him,” Carlo Ancelotti admits. “We’re going to have to invent new words to describe him,” claims Sergio Ramos. The solution is to turn to the figures. The trouble is that by the time you have written them down, they have changed. Records fall weekly.

Last season, Ronaldo was Europe’s top scorer in the league, joint-winner of the ESM Golden Shoe with Luis Suarez, as well as the Champions League’s top scorer. This season, finally forced to rest and start again, he returned and scored goal after goal. He did not want to waste any more time. For the fourth year in a row he has scored over 60 goals for club and country.

So far this season Ronaldo has scored 25 times in the league. That’s enough goals to have been La Liga’s top scorer 42 times, more than half the league seasons ever – with 23 games still to play.

“If he carries on like this, he could become the best player ever”

Former Real Madrid striker Raul Top 10 Players of 2014

Player Club Country Points

1) Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid Portugal 928 2) Manuel Neuer Bayern Munich Germany 789 3) Lionel Messi Barcelona Argentina 593 4) Arjen Robben Bayern Munich Netherlands 458 5) Thomas Muller Bayern Munich Germany 354 6) Philipp Lahm Bayern Munich Germany 264 7) James Rodriguez Monaco/Real Madrid Colombia 243 8) Luis Suarez Liverpool/Barcelona Uruguay 218 9) Angel Di Maria Real Madrid/Man Utd Argentina 183 10) Toni Kroos Bayern Munich/Real Madrid Germany 168

Trio…our top three pose at the Ballon d’Or award ceremony

Other World Soccer Award winners 2014

World champions… Germany

Pinnacle… Low lifting the World Cup trophy

TEAM OF THE YEAR: Germany