Soccer

Ronaldo Beats Messi in Fan Vote for the Greatest Ballon d'Or of All Time

Fans picked Ronaldo's 2008 over Messi's 2012 in the all-time Ballon d'Or vote, adding another chapter to soccer's biggest debate.

· 2 min read
Messi after scoring the opening goal against Nigeria
Messi after scoring the opening goal against NigeriaPhoto: Кирилл Венедиктов, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

On the same week Harry Kane was crowned the 2026 Ballon d'Or winner, soccer's oldest argument got a new verdict. Cristiano Ronaldo's 2008 season was voted the greatest Ballon d'Or year of all time, with Lionel Messi's 2012 finishing second, announced on Wednesday.

What Was Voted On

The fan prize is billed as the "B.O.A.T." or all-time Ballon d'Or. Voters chose among some of the greatest Ballon d'Or-winning campaigns ever, rather than among players. It is separate from the main awards: this year's ceremony in London is covered in our Ballon d'Or 2026 winners report.

Montreal Impact supporters waving flags and celebrating a goal against visiting D.C. United in a 25 August 2012 Major League Soccer game at
Montreal Impact supporters waving flags and celebrating a goal against visiting D.C. United in a 25 August 2012 Major League Soccer game at Photo: Gates of Ale, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The Result

  • First: Ronaldo, 2008. The season that earned his first Ballon d'Or.
  • Second: Messi, 2012. The year that saw Messi break the single-year goalscoring record.

Reports on the vote did not publish vote counts or percentages.

Ronaldo and Messi dominated the shortlist. Between them they have won 13 Ballon d'Ors, with Messi holding three more than Ronaldo.

Why It Still Matters

The two have not shared a league for years, but the comparison has never stopped. Ronaldo, now 41, is still chasing 1,000 career goals and is also back in the news for his return to the Portugal squad. Messi was in the headlines for collecting Spain's top sports award.

2017 Orlando City at Atlanta United MLS Game - September 16, 2017
2017 Orlando City at Atlanta United MLS Game - September 16, 2017Photo: Bama in ATL, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Fan votes are not trophies, but the result lands in a week when both players are, once again, the story.

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Background from Wikipedia

Ballon d'Or

The Ballon d'Or (French pronunciation: [balɔ̃ dɔʁ] ; lit. 'Golden Ball') is an annual association football award presented by French magazine France Football since 1956 to honour the player judged to have performed the best over the previous season.

Conceived by sports writers Gabriel Hanot and Jacques Ferran, the Ballon d'Or was based exclusively on voting by football journalists up until 2006. Originally, it was awarded only to players from Europe and was also known as the European Footballer of the Year award. In 1995, the Ballon d'Or was expanded to include all players of any origin active at European clubs.

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the greatest Ballon d'Or of all time vote?

Cristiano Ronaldo won, with his 2008 season named the greatest Ballon d'Or year ever. Lionel Messi finished second with his 2012 season.

What is the B.O.A.T. Ballon d'Or award?

It is a fan prize, called the All-Time Ballon d'Or, in which voters chose among some of the greatest Ballon d'Or-winning campaigns ever. It is separate from the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony.

How many Ballon d'Ors do Ronaldo and Messi have?

Between them they have 13. Messi has three more than Ronaldo.

Sources & Official Resources

Rules, schedules and statistics in this article are checked against these official sources. See our editorial policy for how we fact-check.

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