Cristiano Ronaldo Beats Lionel Messi To Claim Ballon d'Or Of All Time Award

Lionel Messi might have the most Ballon d'Ors of any player in the world, but it is Cristiano Ronaldo who has won the Ballon d'Or of All Time (B.O.A.T.) award, in a vote that was done by fans. The result of the voting was released by the Ballon d'Or organization just a few days after England and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane won the 2026 Golden Ball. For fans, Ronaldo's 2008 season with Manchester United was even greater than Messi's 2012 campaign with Barcelona, in which the Argentine famously scored a whopping 91 goals in the calendar year.

Introduced for the Ballon d'Or's 70th anniversary, the B.O.A.T. (Ballon d'Or Of All Time) allowed fans to crown the greatest individual season in the award's history. To qualify, a player had to be at least a two-time winner. Despite frequent comparisons, the B.O.A.T. isn't the same as the Super Ballon d'Or.

OFFICIAL: Ballon d'Or announce Cristiano Ronaldo 2008 has been voted as the BEST BALLON D'OR OF ALL TIME. https://t.co/gr3nYytkiu

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 28, 2026

Ronaldo's Historic 2008 Season

In 2008, Cristiano Ronaldo produced what fans have now voted as the greatest Ballon d'Or-winning season of all time. During a sensational 2007/08 campaign with Manchester United, the Portuguese forward led the club to a memorable Premier League and UEFA Champions League double.

On an individual level, he delivered an incredible 42 goals and 8 assists across all competitions, sweeping every major individual honour available.

Alongside securing the Premier League Golden Boot, Champions League Top Scorer award, and the European Golden Shoe, Ronaldo was crowned the Premier League Player of the Season, PFA Players' Player of the Year, FWA Footballer of the Year, UEFA Club Footballer of the Year, and FIFA World Player of the Year.

The final rankings were completely dominated by Messi and Ronaldo, who swept all 10 places on the list. Ronaldo secured five of the positions with his standout campaigns from 2008, 2017, 2016, 2014, and 2013. Messi claimed the remaining five spots, recognized for his historic seasons in 2012, 2023, 2015, 2011, and 2009.

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