Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2008 Ballon d’Or Season Voted Best in Award’s History
Fans chose Ronaldo’s 2008 win over Lionel Messi’s 2012 award in a paid online vote that drew 5,009 repeat voters, France Football said.
- 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.
181 Articles
181 Articles
Cristiano Ronaldo won the newly created BOAT award, with his mythical year in 2008 standing out in the voting for the top version of the all-time Golden Ball winner. Cristiano Ronaldo may have been left with the complaint since he was not even among the contenders for the Golden Ball that ended up in Harry Kane, but he added one more distinctive distinction to his already impressive palmaré and to do so he left behind top versions of other legen…
Cristiano Ronaldo beats Lionel Messi, wins best Ballon d'Or of all time award for the 2007/08 season
Veteran Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo won the Best Ballon d'Or of all time award for his victory in the 2007/08 season with Manchester United, beating out Lionel Messi for the fan-voted award.
The winner of the "Ballon d'Or of All Time" award, determined by fan vote and held as part of the 70th anniversary of the Ballon d'Or, has been announced. So, what is the Ballon d'Or of All Time? Who won the 2026 Ballon d'Or of All Time?
It was a novelty initiated by France Football, the magazine that created the trophy. Cristiano Ronaldo won the BOAT (Ballon of Gold Of All Time), a distinction created on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the trophy. Internet users have designated its 2007-2008 season as the best in the history of Balloon Gold. Particularity of the operation: every vote [...]
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