Ronaldo’s 2008 Ballon d’Or named best of all time in fan vote

By Efe Onodjae Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2008 Ballon d’Or-winning campaign has been voted the best in the history of the prestigious individual football award in a public poll organised to celebrate its 70th anniversary. The result was posted by football transfer journalist, Fabrizio Romano, in a Facebook post monitored by Vanguard. Ronaldo’s 2008 triumph topped the Ballon d’Or of All Time (BOAT) ranking, ahead of Lionel Messi’s 2012 edition, while the Portuguese forward’s 2017 campaign came third.

Messi’s 2023 season occupied the fourth position, followed by Ronaldo’s 2016 campaign in fifth place. The ranking featured 32 editions of the award won by 10 football legends, with supporters voting for the individual campaigns they considered the greatest. Other editions featuring prominently in the top 10 included Ronaldo’s 2014 and 2013 victories, as well as Messi’s 2015, 2011 and 2009 campaigns.

Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazário’s 2002 triumph was ranked 13th, while Johan Cruyff’s 1974 victory came 17th. Michel Platini’s 1984 campaign occupied the 18th position, ahead of Franz Beckenbauer’s 1976 edition. Ronaldo won his first Ballon d’Or in 2008 while playing for Manchester United, following an outstanding season in which he scored 42 goals in all competitions and helped the English club win the Premier League and UEFA Champions League.

The Portuguese forward subsequently won the award four more times, in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017, taking his career tally to five. Messi, meanwhile, holds the record for the most Ballon d’Or wins, with eight, including his 2023 triumph following Argentina’s victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The BOAT ranking recognises individual Ballon d’Or-winning campaigns rather than awarding a new official Ballon d’Or or determining which player has enjoyed the greatest career.

The result is also separate from the annual Ballon d’Or award, which is decided through a jury of specialist journalists. The poll has renewed debate among football supporters over the achievements of Ronaldo and Messi, whose rivalry has dominated discussions about the world’s best player for more than a decade.