Cristiano Ronaldo has secured the title for the first-ever Ballon d’Or of All Time (B.O.A.T.) honor, defeating his legendary peer Lionel Messi following a fan vote conducted by France Football.
The Portuguese forward earned the award in recognition of his phenomenal 2007/08 campaign with Manchester United, a year in which he netted 42 goals across all tournaments while leading the team to victories in both the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. That extraordinary run also secured him his maiden Ballon d’Or trophy back in 2008.
How did Cristiano Ronaldo win the category ahead of Messi?
Ronaldo edged past Messi, whose unprecedented 2012 season took second spot in the final tally. Demonstrating the peak of his career, Ronaldo’s 2017 campaign also took third place in the voting.
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Created to let supporters decide the most impressive Ballon d’Or-winning individual season in football history, the B.O.A.T. accolade serves as a fan-voted distinction that leaves the official historical Ballon d’Or standings unchanged.
While the 41-year-old holds five conventional Ballon d’Or trophies compared to Messi’s record-setting eight, Ronaldo continues pursuing further milestones as he aims to reach the 1,000-career-goal mark.
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