Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, the man with the most famous wink in football, is one of the many contenders looking to win the Golden Boot at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa this summer.

Odds from the UK betting market for the controversial Real Madrid and former Manchester United star winger suggest he is around sixth favourite at the time of writing to score the most goals in the competition, below such players as David Villa, Luis Fabiano, and former team mate Wayne Rooney.

Current best odds for Cristiano Ronaldo in the top goalscorer market are 18-1 from several bookmakers including Bet365, bwin and Sportingbet. Most others are offering 14 or 16, with William Hill believing him to have a better chance than this and only offering 12-1.

With a huge list of personal accolades already to his name, the 25 year old player will be keen to add the World Cup Golden Boot to his trophy collection.

In the 06-07 and 07-08 seasons, he won both the PFA Players’ Player and Fans’ Player of the Year awards twice. In the same period he also won two FWA Footballer of the Year Awards. In 2008 he was FIFA Player of the Year, and, to prove his goal scoring abilities, the Premiership Golden Boot. This isn’t even counting all the “Young Player” awards from his early career.

Despite Ronaldo’s undoubted genius as a player, he does spark a lot of controversy, regularly being accused of diving and other ungentlemanly conduct. Whilst widely respected as one of the best in the game, he is not a player the public especially warm to, and it has been suggested that his diving tendencies and propensity towards hot headed behavior may, depending on the approach of the referees in the tournament, be something of a liability.

Portugal are only around ninth favourites to win, with odds ranging from 28-1 from Stan James, Bodog and several others right down to just 20-1 from Ladbrokes and Coral. Combining a bet on a Portugal win and Ronaldo getting the Golden Boot is 100-1 with most bookmakers, but only 66-1 if you go with Betfred.

Other doubles you can have are Ronaldo and favourites Spain for 80-1 with Paddy Power, or with England at 100-1, again, from Paddy Power.

It is also worth noting that Portugal have been drawn in the lauded “group of death”, alongside Brazil and the Ivory Coast – will this have an impact on Ronaldo’s ability to win the Golden Boot?