Cristiano Ronaldo Beats Messi in Fan Vote for Greatest Ballon d’Or Win

Cristiano Ronaldo has beaten long-time rival Lionel Messi in a fan poll to determine the most significant Ballon d’Or victory by a multiple winner of football’s prestigious individual award.

According to the results published on Wednesday evening, fans voting on the official Ballon d’Or website selected Ronaldo’s 2008 triumph as the greatest Ballon d’Or win of all time, placing it ahead of Messi’s 2012 victory.

Ronaldo was 23 when he claimed his first Ballon d’Or after an outstanding 2007/08 season with Manchester United. He helped the English club win the Premier League title and the UEFA Champions League, securing the European trophy for the first time in his career.

The Portuguese forward scored 42 goals and provided nine assists across all competitions during that campaign. He also finished as the leading scorer in both the Premier League and the Champions League, strengthening his case for football’s top individual honour.

The fan poll placed Messi’s 2012 Ballon d’Or victory second, while Ronaldo’s 2017 triumph came third. Ronaldo and Messi occupied all 12 of the top positions between them, highlighting the dominance both players have enjoyed in the award’s history.

Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazário was the highest-ranked player outside the pair, finishing 13th for his 2002 Ballon d’Or victory.

Ronaldo has since continued his career with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, whom he joined in early 2023. At 41, the forward is reportedly pursuing the milestone of 1,000 career goals, with the supplied report putting his tally at 982.

Messi, meanwhile, continues to play for Inter Miami in the United States. The Argentine great has also enjoyed major international success, including leading Argentina to the 2022 FIFA World Cup title.

The fan vote adds another chapter to the long-running debate over Ronaldo and Messi’s respective legacies. While the poll reflects the preferences of participating fans rather than an official ranking of the award’s greatest winners, it places Ronaldo’s first Ballon d’Or triumph at the top of the selected results.