Ronaldo Beats Messi to Win Greatest Ballon d’Or Campaign of All Time Award

Cristiano Ronaldo has once again surpassed Lionel Messi after his outstanding 2008 campaign with Manchester United was voted the greatest in Ballon d’Or history by football fans worldwide.

The Portuguese superstar emerged as the inaugural winner of the B.O.A.T. (Ballon d’Or of All Time) award, introduced by French football magazine France Football to determine the greatest individual season among past winners of the prestigious accolade.

Ronaldo’s victory saw him overcome his long-time rival Messi, who made history in 2012 by scoring an extraordinary 91 goals across all competitions for club and country in a single calendar year.

However, fans favoured Ronaldo’s achievements in 2008, when he helped Manchester United secure both the English Premier League and UEFA Champions League titles, further cementing his status as one of the greatest players in football history.

Unlike the traditional Ballon d’Or, which is decided through votes cast by a panel of international journalists, the B.O.A.T. award allows football fans to select what they consider the most outstanding individual campaign in the award’s history.

The list of nominees also featured several football legends who had won the Ballon d’Or more than once, including Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, Marco van Basten, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Kevin Keegan, Franz Beckenbauer and Alfredo Di Stefano, as well as Brazil’s Ronaldo Nazario.

Fans wishing to participate in the voting were required to pay one euro, with the opportunity to win two tickets to the 2027 Ballon d’Or ceremony also offered as an incentive.

The voting attracted thousands of participants, with more than 5,000 individuals reportedly casting multiple votes to support their preferred candidates.

Sinar Harian