Cristiano Ronaldo beats Lionel Messi to win inaugural Ballon d’Or of All Time award

Cristiano Ronaldo has won the inaugural Ballon d’Or of All Time (BOAT) award, with his 2008 campaign at Manchester United receiving the most votes in a fan poll organised by France Football. The recognition honours the greatest individual season among previous Ballon d’Or winners, rather than constituting another annual Ballon d’Or title. The results were announced on October 28, 2026.

The Portuguese forward’s 2007-08 season was selected ahead of Lionel Messi’s 2012 campaign, during which the Argentine scored a record 91 goals across club and international competitions. Ronaldo’s 2008 season was marked by his goal-scoring performances for Manchester United, helping the club win both the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. He scored 42 goals across competitions during that campaign and won his first Ballon d’Or later that year.

Cristiano Ronaldo wins BOAT award

France Football introduced the BOAT award to mark the 70th edition of the Ballon d’Or. Unlike the traditional award, which is decided by an international panel of journalists, the new recognition asked fans to select the most outstanding season among campaigns that had previously produced a Ballon d’Or winner.

The shortlist included multiple Ballon d’Or winners from different eras, including Ronaldo, Messi, Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, Marco van Basten, Franz Beckenbauer, Alfredo Di Stéfano and Brazilian forward Ronaldo Nazário. Voters were asked to compare specific award-winning seasons rather than rank players solely on the basis of their overall careers.

Ronaldo’s 2008 campaign finished first, while Messi’s 2012 season placed second. Ronaldo’s 2017 campaign ranked third, followed by Messi’s 2023 season and Ronaldo’s 2016 campaign, according to the published results.

Ronaldo’s 2007-08 campaign established him as one of the leading players in European football. Playing under manager Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, he scored 42 goals across competitions, including 31 in the Premier League. His performances helped the English club secure the league title and the Champions League trophy, with Ronaldo scoring in the Champions League final against Chelsea.

He also received several individual honours that season, including the Premier League Golden Boot, the European Golden Shoe and the FIFA World Player of the Year award. His first Ballon d’Or followed in December 2008, making him the first Manchester United player to win the award since George Best in 1968.

Ronaldo subsequently won four more Ballon d’Or titles, in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017, bringing his career total to five. Messi has won the award eight times, with victories in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023. The BOAT result adds another distinction to the long-running rivalry between the two players, with fans selecting Ronaldo’s first Ballon d’Or-winning season as the strongest campaign among the award’s previous recipients.

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