Cristiano Ronaldo has added another distinction to his remarkable career after his 2008 Ballon d’Or-winning campaign was voted the “Ballon d’Or of All Time” (B.O.A.T.) in a global fan poll organised through the Ballon d’Or platform and France Football.
The result, announced on October 28, saw Ronaldo’s 2008 triumph finish ahead of Lionel Messi’s 2012 Ballon d’Or-winning season, with Ronaldo’s 2017 campaign completing the top three.
The distinction is particularly notable because the 2008 award was the first Ballon d’Or of Ronaldo’s career, earned after a spectacular 2007/08 season with Manchester United.
Ronaldo’s 2008 Season Beats Messi’s 2012
The B.O.A.T. vote asked supporters to choose the greatest individual Ballon d’Or-winning campaign rather than simply naming the greatest player of all time.
Ronaldo’s 2008 campaign emerged at the top of the final ranking, with Messi's extraordinary 2012 season finishing second. Ronaldo's 2017 campaign was third, while Messi's 2023 campaign placed fourth and Ronaldo's 2016 victory fifth.
The final top five were:
| Position | Ballon d’Or-winning campaign |
|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo — 2008 |
| 2 | Lionel Messi — 2012 |
| 3 | Cristiano Ronaldo — 2017 |
| 4 | Lionel Messi — 2023 |
| 5 | Cristiano Ronaldo — 2016 |
Remarkably, Ronaldo and Messi occupied all five of the leading positions.
Why Ronaldo’s 2008 Campaign Was Special
Ronaldo was just 23 years old when he won his first Ballon d’Or.
Playing for Manchester United during the 2007/08 campaign, the Portuguese winger scored 42 goals in all competitions and helped Sir Alex Ferguson's side win both the Premier League and UEFA Champions League.
He also finished as the Premier League's leading scorer with 31 goals, while winning the European Golden Shoe. His performances earned him several other major individual honours during the same period.
Ronaldo's first Ballon d’Or victory came in a season that established him as one of the world's dominant attacking players and marked the beginning of a rivalry with Messi that would define an era of football.
A Different Achievement From the Super Ballon d’Or
The new B.O.A.T. recognition should not be confused with the Super Ballon d’Or.
The B.O.A.T. was a fan-driven initiative introduced around the Ballon d’Or's 70th anniversary. It was designed to identify the greatest Ballon d’Or-winning campaign from previous winners.
It is not an additional official Ballon d’Or trophy, and no physical trophy was awarded to Ronaldo for winning the vote.
The Super Ballon d’Or is a separate historical honour. It was awarded to Alfredo Di Stéfano in 1989.
Fans Decided the Winner
The B.O.A.T. result was determined through an online public vote rather than the traditional Ballon d’Or voting system.
According to reports, the initiative allowed supporters to vote for individual Ballon d’Or-winning campaigns, with the voting process running throughout October. Each vote cost €1, making it a paid fan poll rather than a conventional sporting award decided by journalists or football professionals.
That distinction is important when describing the result. Ronaldo has been voted the winner of the B.O.A.T. fan poll, rather than being officially declared by France Football to have had the objectively greatest Ballon d’Or season in football history.
Ronaldo and Messi Dominated the Vote
The format was restricted to players who had won the Ballon d’Or at least twice, meaning several legendary one-time winners were not eligible.
Ronaldo had five winning editions available for the vote: 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
Messi had eight: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023.
Other multiple winners represented included Ronaldo Nazário, Marco van Basten and Michel Platini, among other historic Ballon d’Or winners.
Despite the broad list of legendary campaigns, Ronaldo and Messi dominated the highest positions.
Another Honour for Ronaldo
The B.O.A.T. recognition comes after Ronaldo's five Ballon d’Or victories across his career.
He won his first in 2008, followed by victories in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017. Messi remains the record-holder with eight Ballon d’Or awards.
Following the B.O.A.T. result, Ronaldo thanked supporters and described the recognition as belonging to the fans.
“Football belongs to the fans,” Ronaldo said in a message reported after the result, adding that the Ballon d’Or of All Time was also theirs.
The result gives Ronaldo another notable achievement in his long-running individual rivalry with Messi — although, importantly, it represents the outcome of a fan poll about specific Ballon d’Or-winning campaigns, not a new official Ballon d’Or title.
