Cristiano Ronaldo claimed the newly established B.O.A.T. award after a public vote organized by France Football placed his 2008 Ballon d’Or campaign above Lionel Messi’s 2012 winning edition, eremnews.com reported. The international poll, conducted at a cost of one euro per vote, drew thousands of participants who weighed different historical iterations of the prestigious golden ball rather than voting for a single player’s career as a whole. The new accolade was established by France Football alongside the Union of European Football Associations to determine the greatest ever winner of the Ballon d’Or from among players who have won the prize at least twice. Under this format, the voting process focused exclusively on selecting the year in which a past winner delivered their single best iteration of the trophy rather than introducing a new recipient.

Ballon d’Or Editions Placed Side by Side by Voters

Ronaldo’s 2008 triumph with Manchester United—marked by a Champions League title—secured the top spot in the balloting. Messi’s 2012 vintage finished second in the preferences of the electorate, while Ronaldo’s 2017 award took third place.

Voting habits showed high engagement among a dedicated core of participants. According to figures cited by eremnews.com, roughly 5,009 individuals cast multiple ballots. While 4,665 participants submitted between two and four votes, 300 supporters filed between five and nine selections, and 44 users submitted totals ranging from 10 to 26 votes each.

Historical Dominance Across the Top Twelve Rankings

The voting tallies underlined the long-standing rivalry between the two modern icons. noted that the first 12 positions in the final ranking belonged almost exclusively to winning years generated by Ronaldo and Messi. The only exception near the top of the list was Brazilian striker Ronaldo Nazário, whose triumphant 2008-preceding 2002 campaign broke into the upper tier of the public’s selections.

Despite Messi holding a career advantage with eight Ballon d’Or trophies to Ronaldo’s five—as detailed by alarabiya.net—the public favored the Portuguese forward’s breakout 2008 peak over the Argentine’s prolific 2012 calendar year. The voting window opened immediately following the conclusion of the annual gala where England forward Harry Caine claimed honors, requiring financial contributions for every individual ballot cast.

Unresolved Questions Surrounding Future Voting Formats

Neither France Football nor UEFA officials have clarified whether the B.O.A.T. distinction will return as a recurring fixture following future annual galas or if the inaugural poll remains a one-off event tied to the current era of voting.