Cristiano Ronaldo Chosen as the Greatest Ballon d'Or Winner of All Time
Fan voting on France Football’s website put Ronaldo’s 2008 season ahead of Lionel Messi and other multiple Ballon d’Or winners.
- Cristiano Ronaldo's 2008 Ballon d'Or win was crowned the Greatest Ballon d'Or of All Time in a fan vote, finishing ahead of Lionel Messi's 2012 award.
- France Football invented the BOAT award to identify the greatest Ballon d'Or winner among players who earned the honor at least two times, with fans serving as the jury instead of journalists.
- Supporters paid about $1.10 per vote to participate, with organizers raffling two tickets for the 2027 gala. Voting irregularities emerged, as 4,665 people voted between two and four times.
- Messi, who has won the Ballon d'Or a record eight times, finished second for his 2012 performance, while Ronaldo claimed two of the top three spots with his 2017 award ranking third.
- The BOAT award remains a unique experiment in fan engagement by France Football, as results reflect paid participation rather than definitive expert consensus on the greatest Ballon d'Or winner.
237 Articles
237 Articles
연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency
korean-vibe.com(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Oh Myung-eon = Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) has surpassed his longtime rival Lionel Messi (Argentina) to be voted the 'greatest of all time' by football fans...
Portugueseman Cristiano Ronaldo shared a message on his social networks, with a possible “palito” for Argentine Lionel Messi, after winning the vote for the Golden Ball of all time. “Football belongs to fans! Thanks to all fans from all over the world, the Golden Ball of all [...]
Cristiano Ronaldo pips Lionel Messi in Ballon d'Or BOAT award as fans have their say on greatest all-time winner
Throughout their time as football rivals, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were neck-and-neck at the top of the global game. They played out one more head-to-head battle in a new fan award.
Portuguese star's 2007-08 season at Manchester United voted best among previous Ballon d'Or-winning campaigns
The prestigious Ballon d'Or returned to England on Tuesday after a quarter of a century, won by Harry Kane with excellent performances. In parallel with the voting for the best player of 2026, the slightly less prestigious title of "best Ballon d'Or of all time" was also decided. This was won by Cristiano Ronaldo, who thrilled the football public in 2008.
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