Cristiano Ronaldo Beats Lionel Messi to Win Best Ballon d’Or of All Time
- A public vote launched on October 1 set out to determine the greatest Ballon d'Or-winning season in the award's history
- Ronaldo's 2008 campaign with Manchester United earned him the top spot, edging out Messi's 2012 season
- The vote unveiled that Ronaldo had three of his Ballon d'Or campaigns ranked in the top five, compared to two for Messi
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Cristiano Ronaldo has been voted the greatest Ballon d'Or winner of all time, with his 2008 season at Manchester United beating Lionel Messi's standout 2012 campaign in a worldwide public poll.
Source: Getty Images
Ronaldo beat Messi to win B.O.A.T.
The result came from B.O.A.T., a fan-driven initiative launched on 1 October that invited football supporters globally to select the finest individual Ballon d'Or-winning season in the history of the award.
The platform operates entirely on public voting and carries no official recognition from France Football or any governing body, and no physical trophy is presented as part of the exercise.
How the vote unfolded
Beyond the top two, the poll highlighted the sustained excellence of both players across multiple award-winning years.
Ronaldo placed three of his Ballon d'Or-winning campaigns (2008, 2017 and 2016) within the top five of the overall rankings, while Messi secured two entries (2012 and 2023) in that bracket.
The vote underlined that the rivalry between the two forwards extends beyond individual trophies to encompass several of the most celebrated seasons the sport has ever produced.
The B.O.A.T. initiative was designed to give supporters a platform to recognise and debate the individual campaigns they regard most highly, framing the conversation around on-pitch performance rather than cumulative career achievement.
Ronaldo's historic 2008 campaign in perspective
The Portuguese forward's dominance during the 2007/08 season formed the basis of his victory.
Ronaldo registered 42 goals across all competitions, helping Manchester United secure both the Premier League title and the UEFA Champions League.
He also claimed the Premier League Golden Boot with 31 league goals and finished as the top scorer in the Champions League with eight goals.
That season also saw Ronaldo collect the Ballon d'Or itself and the FIFA World Player of the Year award, completing one of the most decorated individual campaigns in football history.
His achievement made him the first Manchester United player to win the Ballon d'Or since George Best claimed it in 1968.
Comparing Ronaldo's 980 career goals to Messi's
YEN.com.gh earlier reported on Cristiano Ronaldo’s 980 career goals compared with Lionel Messi’s 934, following the Portuguese star’s strike in Al-Nassr’s 3-0 victory over Al-Diriyah on October 9.
The milestone leaves Ronaldo just 20 goals shy of his ambitious 1,000-goal target, while Messi has reached his tally in 161 fewer appearances.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
