Deco - Ronaldo will rule world

Deco: Praise for countryman

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Barcelona midfielder Deco has no doubts that Cristiano Ronaldo will become the best player in the world.

Deco is a Portuguese international team-mate of Ronaldo and is convinced that the Manchester United winger has the ability to reach the very top.

Ronaldo finished second in the European Footballer of the Year awards and third in the World Player presentations, with both titles going to Milan star Kaka.

However, Deco feels that the publicity the Brazilian received prior to the ceremonies was a key factor behind him picking up the awards, and that if Ronaldo had been given an equal amount of press attention then the results may well have been different.

Media

"Cristiano Ronaldo will soon be the best player in the world," Deco told O Jogo.

"This year the role of the media was decisive for Kaka.

"I have experienced how the media can alter decisions in 2004 when I finished runner-up to Andrei Shevchenko.

"I am convinced that if I had been at Barcelona at that time then I would have won the award.

"Manchester United is a big club, but the clubs in Spain and Italy work the promotional aspects very well. These are the things which influence the prizes.

Quality

"(Lionel) Messi is a fantastic player but after the year that Cristiano had I do not understand how he came third and not second.

"Cristiano and Messi are both quality and they will be fighting for the prizes over the next few years.

"I believe that Cristiano will not be too upset at missing out, because he knows that he will be No.1 in time."