Ronaldo vs Messi: 2008 Ballon d’Or Leads Greatest-Ever Vote
Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2008 Ballon d’Or-winning season is leading a special fan vote to determine the greatest winning campaign in the award’s history, with Lionel Messi’s 2012 season trailing behind.
Ronaldo’s first Ballon d’Or season has attracted 62% of the votes in the Ballon d’Or Of All Time (B.O.A.T.) competition, according to reports published on October 19, 2026.
Messi’s 2012 campaign has received 13%, while his 2023 Ballon d’Or-winning season sits third with 9%.
The competition, hosted on the award’s official platform, asks fans to select the greatest season among 10 football legends who have won the Ballon d’Or at least twice.
However, the leaderboard does not represent a definitive ranking of the players’ achievements. Each vote costs €1, and participants can vote multiple times, including for the same player.
Why Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2008 season stands out
Ronaldo won his first Ballon d’Or in 2008 after an outstanding campaign with Manchester United.
The Portuguese forward scored 42 goals across all competitions during the 2007/08 season. His performances helped United win the Premier League and UEFA Champions League under manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
He scored 31 goals in the Premier League, finishing as the competition’s leading scorer. He also scored in the Champions League final against Chelsea, although United eventually secured the trophy through a penalty shootout.
Ronaldo’s contribution to both competitions helped establish him as one of the world’s leading footballers. His first Ballon d’Or capped a season in which his speed, aerial ability and goalscoring made him a major threat to opposing defences.
The 2008 award also marked the beginning of his collection of five Ballon d’Or titles.
Messi’s 2012 season remains a major contender
Although Ronaldo leads the current poll, Messi’s 2012 campaign remains one of the most remarkable individual scoring years in football.
The Argentine won his fourth consecutive Ballon d’Or in January 2013, following a calendar year in which he scored 91 goals for Barcelona and Argentina.
That total included 79 goals for Barcelona and 12 for Argentina, making 2012 a historic year for individual goalscoring.
Messi’s 2012 Ballon d’Or victory came during a period when he and Ronaldo dominated discussions about the world’s best footballer. Their contrasting styles and sustained performances helped define one of football’s most closely followed rivalries.
His 2012 campaign currently trails Ronaldo’s 2008 season by 49 percentage points in the reported B.O.A.T. vote.
Messi’s 2023 victory also features in the competition. He won his eighth Ballon d’Or after captaining Argentina to the 2022 FIFA World Cup title in Qatar.
Which other football legends are in the vote?
The B.O.A.T. competition includes eight other multiple-time Ballon d’Or winners alongside Ronaldo and Messi.
They are Ronaldo Nazário, Marco van Basten, Michel Platini, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Kevin Keegan, Franz Beckenbauer, Johan Cruyff and Alfredo Di Stéfano.
The selection spans different generations of football, allowing supporters to compare achievements from different eras.
Ronaldo’s 2008 campaign currently has the largest reported share of the votes. However, the standings could change before voting closes at midnight on October 27, Paris time. The final results are expected on October 28.
Does the vote settle the Ronaldo vs Messi debate?
The current standings offer a fresh snapshot of how participating fans rate the two players’ greatest Ballon d’Or-winning seasons.
Ronaldo has won the award five times, while Messi holds the record with eight victories. Their overall totals, however, are separate from the question posed by this competition: which individual winning season deserves the greatest recognition?
The paid voting format also means the leaderboard should not be treated as a scientific measure of footballing greatness.
For now, Ronaldo’s 2008 campaign holds a commanding lead over Messi’s 2012 season. Whether that position survives until the deadline will become clearer when the organisers release the final results.