Cristiano Ronaldo hailed "one of the most beautiful days of my life" and vowed to keep improving after winning the prestigious Ballon d'Or award in the early hours of the morning.
The Manchester United winger was named as 2007 winner Kaka's successor at 0200 GMT after convincingly seeing off competition from Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Liverpool striker Fernando Torres.
Of the 96 top journalists polled by France Football magazine, 77 voted the Portugal winger as their number one player this year and every one placed him in their top five after he scored 42 goals in United's Barclays Premier League and Champions League winning season.
He polled a massive 446 points from a maximum 480, finishing comfortably ahead of second-placed Messi (281) and third-placed Torres (179).
In so doing the 23-year-old becomes the third Portuguese player to lift the famous trophy - after legendary pair Eusebio and Luis Figo - and joins fellow Red Devils George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton in taking the gong.
A total of 11 Barclays Premier League players earned votes, with England internationals Steven Gerrard (ninth), Wayne Rooney (13th) and Frank Lampard (15th) flying the flag for Fabio Capello's side.
Despite the good showing for the the division, Ronaldo is just the second England-based player to win the award since Best in 1968. Michael Owen, in 2001, is the other.
Speaking to www.francefootball.fr, Ronaldo said: "It is one of the most beautiful days of my life. To gain this trophy is something I dreamed of as a child.
"Great emotion fills me but I cannot really describe it.
"I want to thank those who voted for me, those who know me and those who live with me.
"I was not worried, because I was aware of what I did in the course of the season.
"But to the people who mentioned my name, I say thank you. Thank you also to my team-mates.
"This (trophy) is one that I want to win again because it is so good. Therefore, I will wake and I will say to myself 'I want to be even better'."
Ronaldo admitted he was proud to be take the honour ahead of a host of world stars.
"I am only 23 years old and it is splendid, incredible," he continued.
"There were other great names this year. I see that Lionel Messi finished second and Fernando Torres third, but also (fifth-placed) Xavi...all these people could have taken the trophy and I won it."
Ronaldo's 42 club goals last season propelled United to glory in both the Barclays Premier League and Champions League.
His summer efforts at Euro 2008 were less spectacular - he found the net just once before Portugal were eliminated at the quarter-final stage - and overshadowed by a long-running transfer tussle involving Real Madrid but his achievements continue to be recognised.
He is already FIFPro World Player of the Year and also took the top domestic prizes from the Professional Footballers' Association and the Football Writers last season.
An ankle injury prevented Ronaldo from taking his sterling form into the start of this term, but he has been quick to find his stride since returning to fitness, scoring nine times.
Ballon d'Or Voting
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester Utd), 446 points
2. Lionel Messi (Barcelona), 281 pts
3. Fernando Torres (Liverpool), 179 pts
4. Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), 133 pts
5. Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona), 97 pts
6. Andriy Arshavin (Zenit St-Petersburg), 64 pts
7. David Villa (Valencia), 55 pts
8. Kaka, 31 pts
9. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter Milan), 30 pts
10. Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), 28 pts
11. Marcos Senna (Villarreal), 16 pts.
12. Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal), 12 pts.
13. Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), 11 pts.
14. Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid), 10 pts.
15. Frank Lampard (Chelsea), 8 pts.
16. Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich), 7 pts.
17. Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona), 6 pts.
18. Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), 5 pts.
19. Michael Ballack (Chelsea), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), 4 pts.
21. Didier Drogba (Chelsea), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United), 3 pts.
24. Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United), Ruud van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid), 2 pts.
Cristiano Ronaldo Factfile:
1985: Born February 5 in Funchal on the Madeira Islands, Portugal.
2002: Makes his debut for Sporting Lisbon in the Portuguese Super Liga at the age of 17 after winning international caps for Portugal's youth sides.
2003: August - Scores in pre-season friendly against Manchester United.
August 12 - Completes a £12.24million transfer to United, taking the number seven shirt following the sale of England captain David Beckham to Real Madrid.
August 16 - Makes his debut as a second-half substitute in opening-day 4-0 win over Bolton at Old Trafford.
Plays for Portugal full national side in 1-0 win over Kazakhstan.
November 1 - Scores his first goal for United in the 3-0 victory over Portsmouth at Old Trafford.
December 1 - Fined £4,000 and warned as to his future conduct at an FA disciplinary hearing after being charged with improper conduct in the Old Trafford fracas which followed the goalless draw with Arsenal.
2004: June 6 - Voted United's player of the year by supporters.
June 24 - Scores in the shootout as Portugal knock England out of the European Championships 6-5 on penalties.
2005: September 8 - Plays a crucial role in Portugal's World Cup qualifier in Russia just hours after the death of his father.
October 19 - Arrested and questioned by police after an allegation of rape at a London hotel was made against him. Ronaldo asserts his innocence. No charges were brought.
November 18 - Agrees a two-year extension to his United contract, keeping him at the club until 2010.
December 7 - Television pictures show Ronaldo making a one-fingered gesture to the crowd after being jeered during United's 2-1 defeat to Benfica in the Stadium of Light which saw them knocked out of the Champions League.
2006: January 26 - Charged with misconduct by UEFA for making obscene gesture to Benfica fans. Banned for one match and fined £4,000.
July 1 - Protests to referee Horacio Elizondo after United team-mate Wayne Rooney
clashes with Ricardo Carvalho in their World Cup quarter-final. Rooney is sent off and television pictures catch Ronaldo winking towards the bench.
Scores the winning penalty in the shootout to knock out England.
July 8 - After losing the third-place play-off to Germany, Ronaldo reveals he wants to leave United. Admits he would like a move to Spain, having been previously linked with Real Madrid.
July 12 - United stress there is "no possibility" Ronaldo will be sold and the player remained at Old Trafford after Rooney pleaded with him to stay.
Despite being on the receiving end of supporters' abuse at each game, Ronaldo is in scintillating form throughout the season.
2007: February 6 - Named captain of the Portugal team for a friendly against Brazil a day after his 22nd birthday.
April 11 - Scores twice as Manchester United humiliate Roma 7-1 in the Champions League quarter-final second leg at Old Trafford.
April 13 - Agrees new five-year deal at Old Trafford.
April 22 - Voted both the PFA Player and Young Player of the Year - the first player to land the double award since Andy Gray in 1977.
May - Voted Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers' Association as United win the Premier League title.
August 15 - Sent off for an apparent headbutt on Richard Hughes in the 1-1 Premier League draw with Portsmouth.
December 17 - Finishes third in FIFA's world player of the awards, behind winner Kaka and Lionel Messi.
2008: March 19 - Scores twice in a 2-0 win over Bolton - taking his tally for 2007-08 to 33 - to beat George Best's 40-year-old club record for goals scored by a winger in a single season.
April 23: Misses an early penalty in United's goalless draw with Barcelona at the Nou Camp in their Champions League semi-final first leg.
April 27: Voted PFA Player of the Year for the second year running.
May 11: United win the Barclays Premier League title with a win at Wigan.
May 14: Real Madrid claim they have the funds to purchase Cristiano Ronaldo.
May 21: Heads United in front in Champions League final against Chelsea in Moscow. The game goes to penalties and despite Ronaldo missing his kick, United win the shootout.
Ends the season with 42 goals.
May 22: Real coach Bernd Schuster says he believes Ronaldo will play for the Spanish club at some point in his career.
May 27: United threaten to report Real to FIFA if they do not end their public campaign to court Ronaldo.
June 2: Ronaldo is reported to have told Brazilian website Terra that he wants to join Real, if they can pay the asking price United demand.
June 9: United report Real to FIFA over their pursuit of Ronaldo.
July 7: Ronaldo undergoes surgery on his injured ankle in Amsterdam.
July 10: FIFA president Sepp Blatter says that Ronaldo should be allowed to leave Manchester United to join Real Madrid if he wants to, adding that any decision to force him to stay would represent a trend towards "modern slavery" in football.
August 6: Cristiano Ronaldo tells Portuguese newspaper Publico that he would remain with Manchester United "for at least another year".
August 17: Ronaldo makes his return from injury as a 62nd-minute substitute for Ji-sung Park in a home goalless draw with Villarreal in the Champions League.
November 15: Scores 100th goal for Manchester United with the first of a brace against Stoke.
November 30: Sent off for two yellow card in the Manchester derby, the second caution coming after a bizarre handball incident.
Dec 02: Wins the prestigious Ballon d'Or, convincingly seeing off competition from second placed Lionel Messi and Liverpool's Fernando Torres, in third.
