Ronaldo beats Messi in 'Ballon d'Or of All Time' vote

Cristiano Ronaldo has been voted by fans as having the greatest Ballon d'Or-winning season in history thanks to his 2007-2008 campaign with Manchester United, surpassing Lionel Messi's 2012 performance in a global poll.

The B.O.A.T. (Ballon d'Or of All Time) poll was launched this year by France Football magazine to officially mark the 70th anniversary of the prestigious award. This special vote sought to identify the most outstanding season among the winners who have claimed the Ballon d'Or at least twice.

Unlike the traditional annual awards, which are decided by a panel of international journalists, the results for this poll were determined by fans via the award's official website.

Ronaldo's 2008 season took the top spot, finishing ahead of Messi's 2012 campaign and Ronaldo's own 2017 season. The Portuguese and Argentine superstars completely dominated the rankings by occupying all of the top 12 positions. The first player outside of them to appear on the list was Brazilian football legend Ronaldo Nazário for his 2002 Ballon d'Or win.

Ronaldo had led the voting from the very beginning. On Oct. 21, his 2008 season held 62% of the total vote, far ahead of Messi's 2012 season at 13% and his 2023 season at 9%.

The year 2008 marked a major turning point in Ronaldo's career, during his time at Manchester United under the management of Sir Alex Ferguson. In the 2007-2008 season, the then-23-year-old forward scored 42 goals in 49 appearances across all competitions. He played a pivotal role in helping United secure a double by winning the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League.

In the Premier League alone, Ronaldo netted 31 goals, earning him the Golden Boot both in England and Europe. He also scored eight goals in the Champions League, which included a header in the final against Chelsea. United went on to draw 1-1 before winning the thrilling penalty shootout at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

These combined achievements put Ronaldo ahead of Messi and Fernando Torres that year, securing his first Ballon d'Or.

His 2008 victory also marked the beginning of an era in which Ronaldo and Messi completely dominated world football. The Portuguese superstar went on to win four more Ballon d'Or awards in 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017, all while playing for Real Madrid. Messi holds the all-time record with eight awards, the most recent coming in 2023.

Besides Ronaldo, Messi and Ronaldo Nazário, the B.O.A.T. shortlist included seven other legends: Alfredo Di Stéfano, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, Michel Platini, Marco van Basten, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, and Kevin Keegan.

The fan vote required each participant to pay €1 ($1.12) to cast a ballot. Participants were permitted to vote an unlimited number of times and have the chance to win two tickets to the 2027 Ballon d'Or ceremony.

According to Marca, 5,009 individuals cast multiple votes during the poll. Specifically, 44 participants voted between 10 and 26 times, 300 voted between five and nine times, and 4,665 voted between two and four times. The final results reflect the massive fan support rather than a professional assessment.

The B.O.A.T. title does not mean that Ronaldo would receive an additional Ballon d'Or, nor does it constitute recognition by France Football as the greatest player in the history of the sport. This was a special commemorative poll with no physical trophy awarded, specifically designed to celebrate the most beloved versions of legendary players throughout the history of the award.