Portugal captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, has beaten Argentina forward Lionel Messi and other football legends to win the Best Of All Time (BOAT) award, recognising the greatest performance in the history of the Ballon d’Or.
Ronaldo emerged victorious with his 2008 Ballon d’Or edition, which he won while playing for Manchester United, following a public vote organised through the official Ballon d’Or website.
The award was introduced by UEFA and France Football magazine to determine the greatest among past Ballon d’Or winners.
Ronaldo’s 2008 triumph topped the poll, while Messi’s 2012 edition finished second. Ronaldo’s 2017 victory came third.
The voting process, which closed early Wednesday, required participants to pay one euro per vote.
Voters were also entered into a draw for two tickets to the 2027 Ballon d’Or ceremony.
Ten players who had won the Ballon d’Or at least twice were shortlisted for the honour.
They included Ronaldo, a five-time winner, and Messi, who has claimed the award eight times.
Other nominees were Dutch legends, Marco van Basten and Johan Cruyff, French great Michel Platini, Brazil’s Ronaldo, Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, England’s Kevin Keegan and Argentina’s Alfredo Di Stefano.
Ronaldo secured his first Ballon d’Or in 2008 after an outstanding spell at Manchester United, finishing ahead of Messi and Spain forward Fernando Torres.
He subsequently won four more awards in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017 during his time at Real Madrid.
Meanwhile, England captain Harry Kane was named the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner after a ceremony held in London on Monday.
The Bayern Munich striker received the prestigious individual award following his performances for club and country.
