Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2008 Ballon d’Or-winning season has been voted the greatest in the award’s history in a fan poll organised by French magazine France Football to mark its 70th anniversary.
The Portuguese forward topped the Ballon d’Or of All Time (BOAT) ranking, finishing ahead of Lionel Messi’s 2012 campaign, while his 2017 triumph came third.
Football transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano shared the results on social media earlier today, October 28, following the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony.
Messi’s 2023 campaign finished fourth, while Ronaldo’s 2016 victory placed fifth. Ronaldo’s 2014 and 2013 campaigns also featured in the top 10, alongside Messi’s 2015, 2011, and 2009 seasons.
The ranking featured 32 Ballon d’Or-winning campaigns involving 10 football legends, with fans voting for the individual seasons they considered the greatest.
Ronaldo claimed his first Ballon d’Or in 2008 after an outstanding season with Manchester United, scoring 42 goals in all competitions and helping the club win the Premier League and UEFA Champions League.
He also finished as the Premier League’s top scorer with 31 goals and won the European Golden Shoe during the 2007/08 season. His performances earned him 446 points in the original Ballon d’Or voting, ahead of Messi, who finished second.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward won the award four more times, in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017, taking his total to five.
Messi remains the record eight-time winner, with his 2023 win following Argentina’s triumph at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Elsewhere in the ranking, Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazário’s 2002 campaign finished 13th, while Johan Cruyff’s 1974 season placed 17th. Michel Platini’s 1984 triumph came 18th, ahead of Franz Beckenbauer’s 1976 campaign.
The poll assessed individual Ballon d’Or-winning seasons rather than players’ overall careers. It was separate from the official annual award, which is decided by a jury of specialist journalists.
