Geneva, Nyon, Mar 28: Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo has been named ambassador for the 'UEFA EURO 2008' Score for the Red Cross online fundraising campaign that kicks off today. The Score for the Red Cross campaign, jointly organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), will benefit landmine victims in Afghanistan by providing them with artificial limbs, physiotherapy and vocational training. 'Landmine victims need determination and a lot of encouragement on the road to recovery. I have a lot of respect for them and I want to support them,'' said Ronaldo. ''The great thing about this campaign is that everyone is a winner when it comes to giving and receiving,'' he said. ''The website offers football fans a chance to have fun, while making a difference. What could be better than that?'' Cristiano Ronaldo began playing football at an early age and was discovered by the Sporting Clube de Portugal at the age of 11.

In 2003, he joined Manchester United where he has won high praise from his fans and teammates. Ronaldo plays for Portugal and took part in the UEFA EURO 2004 and the 2006 World Cup. A series of friendly football matches are due to take place across Europe tonight. Before the matches, many national football teams, together with their National Red Cross Societies, will publicly show their support for the Score for the Red Cross campaign. UEFA will also donate 4,000 Euro to the ICRC for each goal scored during the UEFA EURO 2008.

UNI