Cristiano Ronaldo Beats Lionel Messi to Win Ballon d Or of All Time Award
Cristiano Ronaldo edged Lionel Messi to win the newly created Best Ballon d’Or of All Time (B.O.A.T.) award, with his 2008 triumph at Manchester United recognized as the greatest individual victory in the history of the accolade. The fan-voted contest required supporters to pay €1 per ballot cast, with voting closing on October 27.
The 2008 Campaign That Claimed the Top Honor
Ronaldo secured the maiden win of his five total Ballon d’Or awards in 2008 at just 23 years old. Under manager Sir Alex Ferguson, the winger anchored a Manchester United side that captured both the Premier League and the Champions League during the 2007–08 season. He dominated English domestic play by winning the Golden Boot with 31 goals, added 11 Champions League matches featuring eight goals and two assists, and finished the campaign with 42 goals across all competitions alongside the European Golden Boot.
How the Fan Vote Ranked the Legends
Only players who won multiple Ballon d’Or awards were eligible for the B.O.A.T. ballot, which featured 10 shortlisted players including Marco van Basten, Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff, and Ronaldo Nazário. Voting opened on October 1 and ran through October 27, 2026, on the official Ballon d’Or website, with each vote costing €1 (about $1.10) alongside an incentive entry for two tickets to the 2027 Ballon d’Or gala. When the polls closed, Ronaldo’s 2008 victory finished first, followed by Lionel Messi’s record-setting 2012 campaign in second, and Ronaldo’s 2017 victory rounding out the top three.
Distinction From Traditional Ballots
The B.O.A.T. award was introduced this year by UEFA and France Football to let supporters weigh in on the best individual winning year among multiple-time recipients. While Messi holds the record as the winningest player in Ballon d’Or history with eight total trophies, it was Ronaldo’s 2008 performance that captured the public poll ahead of Messi’s 2012 year—when the Argentine scored 91 goals in a single calendar year—and Ronaldo’s 2017 award. The results reflect a paid fan contest rather than a definitive editorial consensus, and the winner receives no physical trophy.
