Ronaldo Surpasses Messi in All-Time Ballon d’Or Rankings

Cristiano Ronaldo has won a global fan vote to choose the best Ballon d’Or winner in history, making him the first ever ‘BOAT’ (Ballon d’Or of All Time) winner.

Ronaldo’s iconic 2008 season for Manchester United has been recognised as the best single year in the history of football’s prestigious trophy.

Rekindling the rivalry between the two superstars in football, France Football announced a unique award after a recent gala evening. The ‘BOAT’ award was created to determine which Ballon d’Or winner has had the best season of all time in the history of the game. Ronaldo was voted by fans, with his 2008 performance for United taking the top spot.

The result saw the Al-Nasr star edge out his long-time rival Lionel Messi by a slim margin. Voters preferred Ronaldo’s maiden Ballon d’Or win over Messi’s record-breaking 2012 season, when the Argentine magician scored a record 91 goals in a calendar year for club and country.

While the traditional Ballon d’Or relies on a panel of international journalists to determine the winner, the ‘BOAT’ award puts the real power directly in the hands of fans. France Football organised a vote for its digital readers, giving fans around the world the chance to choose their favourite legend’s best moment as the greatest of all time.

Final list of BOAT votes

1. Cristiano Ronaldo (2008)

2. Lionel Messi (2012)

3. Cristiano Ronaldo (2017)

4. Lionel Messi (2023)

5. Cristiano Ronaldo (2016)

6. Cristiano Ronaldo (2014)

7. Lionel Messi (2015)

8. Cristiano Ronaldo (2013)

9. Lionel Messi (2011)

10. Lionel Messi (2009)

The list of nominees was limited to footballers who had won at least two or more Ballon d’Or awards during their playing careers. The prestigious list included Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, Marco van Basten, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Kevin Keegan and Frank Beckenbauer, as well as Real Madrid icon Alfredo Di Stefano and Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario.

There was one condition for fans to participate in this historic vote – each had to pay a €1 fee to cast their vote. Despite the fee, to encourage participation, the organizers are offering all voters a chance to win two tickets to the 2027 Ballon d’Or ceremony in a lottery.

The initiative proved extremely popular, with thousands of fans paying a fee to vote for their favorite era to be the best. Statistics show that over 5,000 fans voted multiple times to ensure their favorite player was kept at the top.

Ronaldo and Messi dominated the voting throughout, taking all 12 of the top 10 spots. Their dominance was broken in 13th place by another player; Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario, who earned the spot thanks to his Ballon d’Or-winning performances in 2002, was named the winner.