Profiles of the 2008 FIFA World Player award nominees

LONDON (Reuters) - Profiles of the five nominees for the 2008 FIFA World Player award which will be named on Monday.

CRISTIANO RONALDO

Few players in world football polarise opinion like Cristiano Ronaldo but despite his occasional theatrics and petulance his ability to influence matches is undisputed.

The Portuguese winger is blessed with strength, pace, aerial ability and savage shooting power and he invariably delivers when it matters most -- his magnificent header in last season's Champions League final a prime example.

He arrived at Manchester United just as David Beckham was leaving but he was no straight replacement. While Beckham was all precision passing and energy, Ronaldo has more tricks up his sleeve than a circus magician.

His initial tendency to over-indulge his exhibitionist personality with endless stepovers has gradually receded over the years at Old Trafford and last season he turned into a ruthless scoring machine.

An extraordinary tally of 42 goals propelled United to the Champions League and Premier League double and earned him a place in United folklore alongside George Best.

Factor in the amount of goals he created and it is no wonder United fans were relieved that the Madeira-born genius opted to stay in England this season rather than join Real Madrid.

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