Portugal football star Cristiano Ronaldo has been named the inaugural winner of the Ballon d’Or of All Time (BOAT) award, edging out longtime rival Lionel Messi in a fan-driven vote recognising the greatest individual Ballon d’Or-winning season.
Ronaldo thanked supporters worldwide after receiving the recognition, saying the award belonged to the fans as much as it did to him.
“Football belongs to the fans! Thank you to all the fans around the world, the Ballon d’Or of All Time is also yours,” he wrote on Instagram.
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According to reports, Ronaldo’s 2008 campaign with Manchester United was selected as the standout individual season in the history of the prestigious football award. The result placed his first Ballon d’Or-winning year ahead of Messi’s remarkable 2012 campaign, when the Argentine scored a record 91 goals across club and international football.
Unlike the traditional Ballon d’Or, which is decided by an international panel of journalists, the BOAT award allowed fans to cast their votes digitally. Voters were charged one euro to participate, with organisers also offering a draw for two tickets to the 2027 Ballon d’Or ceremony.
The nominees included several football greats who have won the Ballon d’Or, among them Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, Marco van Basten, Franz Beckenbauer, Alfredo Di Stefano and Ronaldo Nazario.
Ronaldo and Messi dominated the voting rankings, occupying the first 12 positions between them, while Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario’s 2002 Ballon d’Or-winning campaign finished 13th.
The award adds another chapter to the longstanding rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi, whose individual achievements have fuelled debates over football’s greatest player for more than a decade.
