Cristiano Ronaldo to pick Manchester United or Real Madrid in 48 hours

Cristiano Ronaldo put Manchester United on edge again last night as he promised to make a definitive decision on his club future within the next 48 hours.

Real Madrid are refusing to give up on their pursuit of the Portuguese superstar, despite United chief Sir Alex Ferguson's threat to report the Bernabeu giants to FIFA.

Fergie upped the ante as he claimed the Glazer family would be happy to force any player to stay at the club against their will if it was best for United.

But while the club were expecting Ronaldo to kill off the speculation by publicly declaring he wants to stay at Old Trafford next term, the winger instead fanned the flames by suggesting he was mulling over the conflicting pulls of United and the Spanish champions.

The 42-goal double Footballer of the Year said: "I think there will be news and a decision soon. I will announce my decision in two or three days."

The latest manoeuvres come only days days after Ronaldo had been hinting he would stay for one more year - on improved terms worth £130,000 per week - before listening to the call from Real, who will host the Champions League Final in the Bernabeu in 2010.

Ronaldo's game of tease will have antagonised Ferguson, who plans to fly to Portugal's Euro 2008 training base at Neuchatel for face to face talks with the winger.

Real, ignoring United's FIFA threat, are still briefing that Ronaldo is upset that promises of a new, improved contract from United have yet to be fulfilled.

The Spanish side's president, Ramon Calderon, has tried to convince Ronaldo that he has always wanted to play for Madrid and that the Premier League and Champions League Double has concluded the natural cycle of his days in Manchester.

But Ferguson will remind Ronaldo that United showed a faith and belief in the player that nobody else did when they signed him from Sporting Lisbon in 2003.

And the Scot said: "I've had a couple of meetings with the Glazers. Their attitude is, 'to hell with them'.

"They'd sit a player in the stand, I'm telling you, absolutely no doubt about it, just to prove a point. Not to give in to these people. They've got balls."