Cristiano Ronaldo has defeated long-time rival Lionel Messi to win France Football magazine’s B.O.A.T. award, which recognises the greatest Ballon d’Or-winning season in history. The Portuguese forward claimed the honour with his 2008 Ballon d’Or campaign, finishing ahead of Messi’s 2012 edition in a public vote organised by the French……
Cristiano Ronaldo has defeated long-time rival Lionel Messi to win France Football magazine’s B.O.A.T. award, which recognises the greatest Ballon d’Or-winning season in history.
The Portuguese forward claimed the honour with his 2008 Ballon d’Or campaign, finishing ahead of Messi’s 2012 edition in a public vote organised by the French publication.
The award, whose name stands for “Greatest Ballon d’Or of All Time”, was introduced around this year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony to celebrate outstanding individual seasons by previous winners of football’s most prestigious individual award.
Unlike the traditional Ballon d’Or, which is decided by journalists, the B.O.A.T. award was determined through votes cast by France Football users. Participants were asked to select a particular year in which a player won the award rather than assess the footballer’s overall career.
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Ronaldo’s 2008 triumph marked his first Ballon d’Or title. His campaign finished ahead of Messi’s 2012 edition, while Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazário’s 2002 season was also among the nominated entries.
The nominees were drawn from players who had won the Ballon d’Or at least twice in their careers. They included Messi, Ronaldo, Ronaldo Nazário, Marco van Basten, Michel Platini, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Kevin Keegan, Franz Beckenbauer, Johan Cruyff and Alfredo Di Stéfano.
Ronaldo’s nominated years were 2008, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017, while Messi’s included 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023.
Participation in the public vote required users to pay one euro per vote. France Football also offered two tickets to the 2027 Ballon d’Or ceremony through a raffle.
According to the publication, 5,009 people voted more than once. Of these, 44 cast between 10 and 26 votes, 300 voted between five and nine times, while 4,665 participated between two and four times.
The outcome adds another chapter to the rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi, whose individual accomplishments have shaped world football for more than a decade.
