Cristiano Ronaldo has beaten Lionel Messi to win the inaugural Ballon d’Or of All Time (B.O.A.T.) fan vote. The Portuguese forward secured the top spot for his 2008 Ballon d’Or-winning campaign with Manchester United, finishing ahead of Messi’s remarkable 2012 season.
Ronaldo scored 42 goals across all competitions during the 2007-08 season. He helped Manchester United win both the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League under legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Messi finished second in the voting for his 2012 campaign, while Ronaldo’s 2017 season took third place. The results further highlighted the dominance of the two footballing legends over the past two decades.
Ronaldo dedicated the award to all his fans across the globe.
“Football belongs to the fans! Thank you to all the fans around the world, the Ballon D’Or of All Time is also yours,” Ronaldo wrote on social media.
Portugal Football Association also congratulated Ronaldo for the prize.
Portugal’s FA wrote on X: “From 2008 to eternity. The greatest Ballon d’Or winner of all time is Portuguese. Congratulations, captain!”
Meanwhile, Ronaldo is the leading men’s international scorer with 143 goals in 225 games. The veteran striker has scored 985 career goals for club after his hat-trick for Al Nassr and country and thus is only 15 goals away from becoming the first player in the football history to score 1000 career goals.
Ronaldo has won five Ballon d’Or awards whereas Messi, who recently announced his International retirement, has won eight Ballon d’Ors.
The top five rankings for Ballon d’Or of All Time were:
Cristiano Ronaldo (2008)
Lionel Messi (2012)
Cristiano Ronaldo (2017)
Lionel Messi (2023)
Cristiano Ronaldo (2016)
