Cristiano Ronaldo beats Lionel Messi to win the BOAT award as the Ballon d’Or top 10 is announced.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been named the greatest Ballon d’Or winner of all time, beating his famous rival Lionel Messi.
On October 1, football fans were asked to pick one of 10 Ballon d’Or winners to be crowned the BOAT – the Ballon d’Or of All Time. This celebrated the best season from players who had won the award at least twice.
Now, it’s official: Ronaldo, who was one of the 10 football legends nominated for the BOAT across 32 entries, has won for his first Ballon d’Or win in 2008.
When the nominees were announced, many expected it would come down to Ronaldo and Messi battling for the top spot. Along with them, stars like Johan Cruyff, Ronaldo Nazario, Kevin Keegan, and Michel Platini were also in the running.
But after an amazing 2008 season, where Ronaldo won both the Premier League and UEFA Champions League with Manchester United and scored 42 goals in all games (31 in the Premier League), he took the BOAT award. That season, he won the Golden Boot by scoring seven more goals than Torres, including a hat-trick in a 6-0 win over Newcastle.
The 2008 Ballon d’Or was the first of five Ronaldo would win during his incredible career, putting him second on the all-time list, just behind Messi. In fact, all five of his Ballon d’Or wins ranked in the top 10 of the BOAT, with Messi’s 2012 win coming in second place.
Here’s how the top 10 voted: Ronaldo took first, third, fifth, sixth, and eighth for his 2008, 2017, 2016, 2014, and 2013 wins. Messi filled the other top spots with his wins from 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, and 2023. The other legendary players didn’t get as many votes, with the fan favorites clearly being the two rivals.
Top 10 BOAT rankings:
1 – Cristiano Ronaldo (2008)
2 – Lionel Messi (2012)
3 – Cristiano Ronaldo (2017)
4 – Lionel Messi (2023)
5 – Cristiano Ronaldo (2016)
6 – Cristiano Ronaldo (2014)
7 – Lionel Messi (2015)
8 – Cristiano Ronaldo (2013)
9 – Lionel Messi (2011)
10 – Lionel Messi (2009)
It’s been a thrilling showdown between two of football’s greatest!