Cristiano Ronaldo thanked supporters worldwide after his 2008 Manchester United campaign won France Football's inaugural Ballon d’Or of All Time public vote over Lionel Messi, though his reaction reignited debate over individual awards.

Cristiano Ronaldo has celebrated being voted the winner of France Football's inaugural Ballon d’Or of All Time (B.O.A.T.) poll, with his 2008 Manchester United campaign finishing ahead of Lionel Messi's historic 2012 season.

However, the Portuguese superstar's latest message about the award has attracted attention given his previous criticism of individual football honours and how winners are selected.

Ronaldo topped the public poll, which ranked his 2008 Ballon d’Or-winning season as the greatest in history. Messi's remarkable 2012 campaign finished second, while Ronaldo's 2017 triumph took third place.

Reacting to the result, the 41-year-old expressed gratitude to supporters around the world, with journalist Fabrizio Romano sharing his comments on X on Thursday.

"Football belongs to the fans! Thanks to all the fans around the world. The Ballon d’Or of All Time is also yours."

The message recognised the role supporters have played throughout Ronaldo's extraordinary career, but it also carried an interesting undertone given his previous reservations about individual awards.

In June 2025, the former Real Madrid forward questioned the credibility of such honours, declaring: "I don’t believe much in individual awards because I know what goes on behind the scenes."

He also suggested that individual recognition had lost some of its relevance because there was no longer a clear consensus over who deserved to win.

Unlike the traditional Ballon d’Or, which is decided by an international panel of journalists voting for their top three players, the B.O.A.T. poll relied on public participation.

The voting process reportedly charged €1 per vote and allowed supporters to submit multiple entries. Consequently, the outcome reflected paid votes rather than a one-person, one-vote system.

That distinction is significant because Ronaldo's latest recognition came directly from supporters, rather than the journalists responsible for selecting the annual Ballon d’Or winner.

His winning 2008 campaign remains one of the defining periods of his career. Ronaldo scored 42 goals for Manchester United, won the Premier League and Champions League, and claimed the first of his five Ballon d’Or titles.

While his latest award celebrates the popularity of that remarkable season, his comments have also reopened the conversation about who should have the final say in football's individual honours.