Ronaldo's 2008 season beats Messi's 2012 in Ballon d'Or 'BOAT' fan vote

Cristiano Ronaldo's 2008 season with Manchester United has been voted the best Ballon d'Or-winning season of all time in a public poll run by France Football, the French magazine that created the Ballon d'Or. The result of the vote, called the "BOAT" award, was announced on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Lionel Messi's record-breaking 2012 season with Barcelona came second, and Ronaldo's 2017 season was third, according to the official results page and reports.

The Ballon d'Or is football's best-known individual award, given each year to the player judged the best in the world. The BOAT vote did not create a new official trophy. Instead, it asked fans to compare past winning seasons and pick the greatest. Reports noted that the result reflects a fan poll, not a decision by the journalists who vote for the regular award.

The result revives the long rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi, the two players who have dominated the award in the 21st century. Messi's 2012 season is usually described as record-breaking, and in early updates it held second place, well behind Ronaldo. Fans preferred Ronaldo's 2008 season, his first Ballon d'Or, won with Manchester United. Ronaldo has won the award five times; his fifth, on December 7, 2017, equalled the record that he then shared with Messi. That 2017 season also made the top three in this vote. Ronaldo and Messi between them held the top positions in the poll, according to reports, a sign of how strongly both players' fan bases took part.

The pay-per-vote format also drew attention. Charging one euro for each vote means the result partly measures how many votes each player's supporters were willing to buy, rather than one person, one vote. That is one reason why the poll should be seen as a celebration and a fan contest rather than a final judgement.

For Indian fans, the result was a talking point: "lionel messi" was among the trending Google searches in India this week as the outcome spread, with Indian sports pages carrying the result alongside the Messi-versus-Ronaldo argument it revived. For readers new to the debate, the key point is that this vote compared single seasons, not whole careers, so it does not settle which player was greater overall.

The vote also came days after the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony in London on October 26, where England captain Harry Kane won the main award.

Short-term: Supporters of both players will keep arguing over the result online, and the poll gives Ronaldo another symbolic win late in his career.

Long-term: France Football and UEFA may run more fan polls of this kind, which bring attention and money to the Ballon d'Or brand. The pay-per-vote format may face questions if it is repeated.

Who is affected: Fans of Ronaldo and Messi worldwide; the organisers of the Ballon d'Or; and football clubs whose past players featured in the vote.

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