Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo.[filephoto]

It is the second successive major championships that the Manchester United star has won the accolade.

While Ronaldo shook his head when coach Luis Felipe Scolari decided to take him off in Brazil's match against Angola, his appearance certainly met with the approval of the 3 000 readers of the twice-monthly magazine.

They judged the 21-year-old - who was also adjudged the finest male specimen at Euro 2004 - to be 'the most beautiful, the most attractive and the sexiest' player at the showpiece event.

Sweden's Markus Rosenberg took second place in the poll of the sexiest team - otherwise known as the 'FC Hunks' - which also was made up of England's Michael Owen and David Beckham and Dutch wing Robin van Persie.

That might make up for his disappointment at being shoved out of the limelight on the pitch by Arjen Robben who failed to make it.

Another Premiership player and an Arsenal teammate of van Persie, Sweden's Fredrik Ljungberg, made the list, as well as Brazil match winner Kaka, another goalscorer, Fernando Torres of Spain, Liverpool FA Cup winner Jan Kromkamp of the Netherlands and Spanish captain Iker Casillas.