YOKOHAMA, Japan (AFP) —Cristiano Ronaldo has all the attributes needed to become a legend with Sir Alex Ferguson tipping him to emulate the likes of Pele and Maradona.

The 23-year-old Portuguese winger, who beat Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Liverpool striker Fernando Torres to win the Ballon D’Or this month, has time on his side.
“Cristiano is superb,” said Ferguson.
“He has timing getting into the box, ability with two feet -- and you would never associate a Portuguese winger with such magnificent ability in the air. He is like an old fashioned centre forward.
“He’s only 23 and still a very young lad and there’s a lot of things in his favor to go on and prove himself as a legend. The next few years, when he reaches 28 or 29, I think you will get your answers.”
Ferguson’s praise comes amid another row with Real Madrid over Ronaldo, with both sides trading barbs after reports that there was an agreement for the player to move to the Bernabeu at the end of the season.
Working against Ronaldo reaching the same heights as Pele and Maradona is that Portugal don’t play as much high profile football as Brazil or Argentina, depriving him of a world stage to show off his skills.
“When you have a star like this, a young player with such huge potential, they normally make an impact very early, which is what Cristiano has done,” said Ferguson.
“Pele scored in a World Cup semi-final as a 17-year-old. Maradona played for his country at 17. Cristiano was 18. All the signs are the same.
“What you don’t know about him but can say about Pele and Maradona is that their careers lasted for a number of years.
“They both played in two World Cup finals. Maybe Portugal do not have the same profile as Brazil and Argentina to get to finals, so you have to judge Cristiano in a different way.”
Ferguson gambled 12 million pounds on the Portuguese playmaker, then a precocious teenager with Sporting Lisbon, five years ago after he ran rings around United in a friendly.
And his faith has paid off.
It was in the 2006/07 season that his transformation began, combining with Wayne Rooney to devastating effect as United romped to their first Premier League title in four years.
Ronaldo scored 23 goals in his 53 games that season, but in 2007/08 he raised the bar higher, redefining the role of the goal-scoring midfielder by striking a remarkable 42 times in 49 matches.
He went under the knife for an ankle injury in July and Ferguson said he expected him to start scoring more goals in the second half of the season.
“I’m always expecting more from Cristiano because he has such high expectations himself,” he said.
“Last season, his best scoring came in the second half of the season and he needs to recapture that. But I am very satisfied with the way he is playing.
“He always wants the ball and there are few wingers in the game who have an impact like him.”