FOOTBALL — Cristiano Ronaldo has emerged as the winner of the inaugural B.O.A.T. (Ballon d’Or of All Time) poll, with football fans selecting his 2008 Ballon d’Or-winning campaign as the greatest individual season among a shortlist of legendary multiple-time winners.
The results, announced on October 28, 2026, placed Ronaldo’s first Ballon d’Or triumph at the top of the rankings, ahead of Lionel Messi’s 2012 campaign.
The vote was organised through the official Ballon d’Or website.
Organisers invited supporters to select the most outstanding season among ten players who had won the prestigious award at least twice.
Ronaldo: The Historic 2008 Campaign
Ronaldo’s victory recognises his outstanding 2007–08 season with Manchester United.
He had scored 42 goals across all competitions and helped the English club win both the Premier League and UEFA Champions League during the season.
The Portuguese forward scored 31 league goals and finished as the Premier League’s leading scorer.
He also scored in the Champions League final against Chelsea, which United won on penalties after a 1–1 draw.
His performances earned him the 2008 Ballon d’Or, the first of five he would win during his career.
His subsequent victories came in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
Messi’s Record-Breaking 2012 Season Finishes Second
Messi finished second with his 2012 Ballon d’Or-winning campaign, a year remembered for his extraordinary scoring record.
The Argentine scored 91 goals for club and country during the calendar year, setting a widely recognised record for goals scored in a calendar year in top-level football.
Despite that remarkable achievement, Messi’s 2012 season was placed behind Ronaldo’s 2008 campaign in the public poll.
The result adds another chapter to the long-running rivalry between the two football icons.
The two have dominated individual football awards for much of the past two decades.
However, the poll ranked particular Ballon d’Or-winning seasons, rather than determining which player had the greater overall career.
Fans Paid to Vote
Unlike the traditional Ballon d’Or, whose winner is determined through a journalists’ voting process, the BOAT initiative won by Ronaldo relied on a public vote.
According to reports on the final results, each entry cost €1, and participants could vote more than once.
Voters also received a historical photograph of the first Ballon d’Or and were entered into a prize draw for two tickets to the 2027 Ballon d’Or ceremony.
Reports citing the voting figures said 5,009 participants voted multiple times.
Of those, 4,665 voted between two and four times, 300 voted between five and nine times, and 44 voted between 10 and 26 times.
The paid, repeat-voting arrangement is an important consideration when interpreting the outcome.
The final standings reflect votes cast, not necessarily the number of unique supporters who preferred each season.
Ronaldo and Messi Dominate the Top 12
The final rankings were dominated by Ronaldo and Messi, whose award-winning seasons occupied the first 12 positions before Brazilian great Ronaldo Nazário appeared in 13th place.
Ronaldo’s 2008 campaign topped the list, while his 2017 season finished third. Messi’s 2012 campaign came second, followed by his 2023 season in fourth place.
The rankings also placed Ronaldo’s 2016 season fifth and his 2014 season sixth, while Messi’s 2015 campaign ranked seventh.
Final B.O.A.T. Standings: Top 10
- Cristiano Ronaldo — 2008
- Lionel Messi — 2012
- Cristiano Ronaldo — 2017
- Lionel Messi — 2023
- Cristiano Ronaldo — 2016
- Cristiano Ronaldo — 2014
- Lionel Messi — 2015
- Cristiano Ronaldo — 2013
- Lionel Messi — 2011
- Lionel Messi — 2009
The full shortlist included other multiple-time Ballon d’Or winners.
List of nominees for the BOAT
- Lionel Messi (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023)
- Cristiano Ronaldo (2008, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017)
- Ronaldo Nazario (1997 and 2002)
- Marco van Basten (1988, 1989 and 1992)
- Michel Platini (1983, 1984 and 1985)
- Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (1980 and 1981)
- Kevin Keegan (1978 and 1979)
- Franz Beckenbauer (1972 and 1976)
- Johan Cruyff (1971, 1973 and 1974)
- Alfredo di Stefano (1957 and 1959)
Does the Result Settle the Ronaldo – Messi Debate?
Ronaldo’s victory gives his supporters a fresh talking point in the debate over the two players’ legacies.
However, the result should be understood in its proper context.
The BOAT poll was a fan-driven initiative focused on selecting the best individual Ballon d’Or-winning season.
It was not a new Ballon d’Or awarded through the traditional jury process, nor was it an objective measurement of the greatest footballer across an entire career.
What the vote establishes is that Ronaldo’s 2008 campaign emerged as the leading choice under the poll’s rules.
Whether that season was greater than Messi’s 2012 performance remains a matter of football opinion.
For the supporters of Ronaldo, however, the result offers another reason to celebrate the Manchester United season that launched his five-Ballon-d’Or legacy.
