Cristiano Ronaldo has come out on top in a fan poll celebrating the greatest Ballon d’Or-winning season, edging out Lionel Messi’s landmark 2012 campaign.
France Football created the “Greatest Ballon d’Or of All Time” award to recognize standout seasons by past winners of the prestigious individual honor. Unlike the traditional Ballon d’Or, selected by journalists, the B.O.A.T. winner was decided through a public vote. Fans chose a specific award-winning season—not a player’s overall career.
Ronaldo’s 2008 triumph claimed the top spot. Messi’s 2012 win was among the other leading contenders, as was the 2002 season of Brazilian great Ronaldo Nazário.
The nominees included players who had won the Ballon d’Or at least twice. Messi’s nominated years were 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2019. Ronaldo’s list included 2008, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2021 and 2023. Other nominees included Michel Platini, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Kevin Keegan, Franz Beckenbauer, Johan Cruyff and Alfredo Di Stéfano.
Taking part in the vote cost one euro per ballot, with two tickets to the 2027 Ballon d’Or ceremony offered in a raffle. France Football reported that 5,009 people submitted multiple votes: 44 cast between 10 and 26, 300 cast five to nine, and 4,665 voted two to four times.
Ronaldo’s win adds another distinction to a career defined by remarkable performances and sustained success.
Comparisons with Messi remain part of football’s ongoing debate, but this vote places Ronaldo’s 2008 season at the summit of Ballon d’Or history.
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