Cristiano Ronaldo has not appeared on the Ballon d’Or shortlist since 2022, but his place in the award’s history is receiving fresh attention through a new fan vote. The Al-Nassr forward is currently leading the official Ballon d’Or B.O.A.T. competition, with supporters backing his 2008 Manchester United campaign as the greatest winning season in the award’s history. The poll gives fans another way to revisit the season that first put Ronaldo among football’s defining names.
What is the Ballon d’Or B.O.A.T. fan vote?
The official Ballon d’Or platform launched the B.O.A.T. — Ballon d’Or Of All Time— competition in early October, inviting supporters to choose the finest individual season among 10 players who have won the trophy at least twice. Rather than asking fans to select their favourite footballer, the poll focuses on what each candidate achieved during a particular Ballon d’Or-winning campaign.The ten contenders are Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldo Nazário, Marco van Basten, Michel Platini, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Kevin Keegan, Franz Beckenbauer, Johan Cruyff and Alfredo Di Stéfano.At the time of writing, Ronaldo’s 2008 season was reportedly leading with 62 per cent of the votes, while Messi’s 2012 campaign had received 13 per cent. The result remains provisional, with voting scheduled to close at midnight on October 27 and the final results expected on October 28.There is also a paid element to the contest, with each vote costing €1 and supporters allowed to vote repeatedly, including for the same player. That format has prompted questions about how much the leaderboard reflects football judgement, but Ronaldo’s commanding early lead has nevertheless brought his first Ballon d’Or season back into focus.
Why Ronaldo’s 2008 season remains so memorable
Ronaldo won his first Ballon d’Or in 2008 while playing for Manchester United, after a campaign in which he scored 42 goals across all competitions and helped the club win both the Premier League and the Champions League.He also scored in the Champions League final against Chelsea, although United ultimately needed a penalty shootout to secure the European title. By then, the winger Sir Alex Ferguson had signed from Sporting CP had developed into one of the most decisive players in world football.That season marked the beginning of Ronaldo’s long run among the Ballon d’Or’s leading contenders, and the current poll asks fans to judge that particular campaign against the greatest individual seasons produced by other multiple winners.
Ronaldo’s Ballon d’Or record, from first nomination to five wins
Ronaldo first received a Ballon d’Or nomination in 2004, after joining Manchester United from Sporting CP. He went on to earn 18 nominations, one more than Messi’s 17, and remained a regular presence on the shortlist for roughly 15 years.His first victory came in 2008, followed by a second in 2013 and another in 2014. The 2013 award was disputed by some observers who believed Franck Ribéry deserved recognition after Bayern Munich’s treble-winning season, while Ronaldo’s 2014 victory followed another prolific year.In 2016, Ronaldo won after helping Portugal claim the European Championship and Real Madrid lift the Champions League, taking the award by a record margin. He secured his fifth and most recent Ballon d’Or in 2017, after Madrid won another European title.Messi, meanwhile, has won the award eight times: in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023. The fan vote does not alter that overall tally, but it offers a separate comparison between individual campaigns.
Why the vote matters to Ronaldo now
Ronaldo received no votes in the 2022 Ballon d’Or and has not returned to the 30-player shortlist since, following his move away from European football and his second departure from Manchester United in 2022. Now playing in Saudi Arabia for Al-Nassr, he is nearing the later stages of a career that brought him major honours with Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus.His lead in the B.O.A.T. poll is a reminder of the season that began his Ballon d’Or legacy, rather than evidence that he is returning to contention for the current award. The 2026 ceremony is scheduled for October 26 at London’s Palladium, marking the 70th edition and the first time the gala has been held in the United Kingdom, in honour of inaugural winner Sir Stanley Matthews.The fan vote will close the following night, with its result due on October 28. Whether Ronaldo’s 2008 campaign holds its lead, the contest has reopened a familiar debate by asking supporters to compare football’s greatest individual seasons, rather than simply counting the trophies each player collected.
