Whether he is the best player in the world or not, the fact remains that Ronaldo is in the conversation.
The 26-year-old is captain of the Portuguese national team and has already played for two of the world's most storied franchises in all of sports, England's Manchester United and now Spanish power Real Madrid.
The transfer fee from Manchester United to Real Madrid was a reported $131 million.
Last season, Ronaldo set a Real Madrid record by scoring 53 goals.
He had such early success with Manchester United that Ronaldo wanted to scale greater soccer heights, and after Old Trafford there aren't many left.
"Sir Alex Ferguson had a great influence on my development as a young player at Manchester United," Ronaldo said in an e-mail response to The Inquirer. "We reached all our goals including winning the UEFA Champions League and English Premier League title, so I felt it was time for a new challenge."
After winning the Champions League in 2008 with Manchester United, Ronaldo was named the FIFA player of the year.
"He is unpredictable with anything he can do on the field," Union team manager Peter Nowak said. "His speed, his physicality, is something you have to be on your toes every time he touches the ball."
The 6-foot-1 Ronaldo is strong in the air and possesses a wicked shot.
"His ball has amazing speed on it," Nowak said.
There are few things more difficult in sports to do than score goals in soccer, which makes his proficiency that much more amazing. Ronaldo says his success all starts with the work he puts in during daily practices.
"Talent is important in football, but in order to succeed it's important to take that extra time to work on free kicks and practice shooting every day," he said. "You can't be a consistent goal-scorer at the highest levels of football without putting in hard work."
