Ronaldo Wins B.O.A.T. Award, Edges Messi’s 2012 Peak

Forty-two goals, a league title, a Champions League trophy and a penalty shootout in Moscow. Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2008 season has just beaten everything else football has to offer, and Lionel Messi’s famous 2012 couldn’t stop it.

Ronaldo has won the inaugural Ballon d’Or of All Time, or B.O.A.T., fan vote. The poll was launched by UEFA and France Football to find the greatest single season by a Ballon d’Or winner. Messi’s record-breaking 2012 finished second, and Ronaldo’s 2017 took third. Fair enough, you might say. But the way the whole top 10 played out is the real story.

Football has argued about these two for nearly two decades, and this vote adds a fresh chapter to that argument. It also arrives with a catch, which we’ll get to.

What Is the B.O.A.T. Award, and Why Does It Matter?

The B.O.A.T. award is a fan-voted honour that recognises the greatest individual season by a Ballon d’Or-winning player. It was launched as part of the celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the Ballon d’Or.

Fans chose from 10 players who had each won the Ballon d’Or at least twice. The shortlist read like a museum tour of football history: Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, Marco van Basten, Franz Beckenbauer, Alfredo Di Stefano, Kevin Keegan, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Ronaldo Nazario, plus Ronaldo and Messi.

Here’s the distinction that matters. Voters weren’t picking the greatest footballer. They were picking the greatest season. A player can have one sensational year and a merely excellent career, or the reverse. This poll rewards the peak, not the long haul.

Why Ronaldo’s 2008 Season Came Out on Top

Ronaldo’s 2008 campaign at Manchester United was the one voters couldn’t look past. He scored 42 goals across all competitions, and 31 of them came in the Premier League alone, enough to win the Golden Boot as United took the league title.

Then came the night in Moscow. Ronaldo scored in the Champions League final against Chelsea, and United won the trophy on penalties. A league-and-Europe double with the star scoring in both competitions makes for a very clean story, and fans clearly remember it.

That season earned him his first Ballon d’Or in 2008, the start of a collection that grew to five. He added the award in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017. Those last four seasons all made this top 10 too.

How Messi’s 2012 Fell Just Short

Messi’s 2012 was no pushover. In the calendar year, the Barcelona forward scored 91 goals for club and country, a record that still feels slightly unreal. He finished second here even though he went on to win a record eight Ballon d’Or awards.

Think about that for a moment. Eight trophies, and the best of his seasons still lost to Ronaldo’s first. Some of that is simple sentiment: a team trophy and a Champions League final goal carry a story that even 91 goals can’t quite match. Fans love numbers, but they love moments more.

The Full Top 10: A Two-Man Show

The final rankings were pure Ronaldo and Messi. Between them, they took all 10 places, which pushed the other eight shortlisted legends out entirely.

After Ronaldo’s 2008 at number one and Messi’s 2012 at two came Ronaldo’s 2017 at three and Messi’s 2023 at four. Ronaldo’s 2016 and 2014 followed at five and six. Messi’s 2015 sat at seven, Ronaldo’s 2013 at eight, and Messi’s 2011 and 2009 closed things out at nine and ten.

Ronaldo claimed five of the ten spots, with 2008, 2017, 2016, 2014 and 2013. Messi took the other five, with 2012, 2023, 2015, 2011 and 2009. A perfectly even split, which feels about right for a rivalry this tight. Football’s older names, from Cruyff to Beckenbauer, didn’t get a look-in. Modern fandom, and perhaps modern recall, clearly shaped the result.

Does This End the Ronaldo vs Messi Debate?

No, and it was never meant to. The vote crowned one season as the most popular pick. It isn’t an official ruling on who is the greatest player of all time.

That nuance is easy to lose in a day of triumphant posts and angry replies. Ronaldo’s camp will call it proof. Messi’s supporters will point to the eight Ballon d’Ors and the 2023 season that made the list. Both sides have material to work with, which is exactly why the argument has lasted so long.

What the vote does show is how fans remember greatness. They tend to reward seasons with a clear shape, a beginning and an end, a trophy and a defining night. On that score, Moscow 2008 is hard to beat.

What Happens Next

Expect this result to travel far. The B.O.A.T. title hands Ronaldo a fresh talking point, and it hands the debate a fresh scoreboard. Future editions, or similar polls from other organisers, could also reopen questions about whether recent seasons get an unfair boost from fresher memories.

For now, one thing is settled. When fans were asked to choose the single best season in the history of the Ballon d’Or, they went with a 23-year-old-era-defining run in red, and a Moscow penalty shootout they haven’t forgotten.

The real winner might be the argument itself. It just got another decade of fuel.

“Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2008 season, with 42 goals and a Premier League and Champions League double, was voted the greatest Ballon d’Or-winning season in history in the inaugural B.O.A.T. fan vote, ahead of Lionel Messi’s 91-goal 2012.”

 FAQ SECTION

Q: Who won the Ballon d’Or of All Time (B.O.A.T.) award?
A: Cristiano Ronaldo won the inaugural B.O.A.T. fan vote with his 2008 season at Manchester United. He finished ahead of Lionel Messi’s 2012 campaign at Barcelona, which took second, while Ronaldo’s own 2017 season came third.

Q: What is the B.O.A.T. award in football?
A: The B.O.A.T. award is a fan-voted honour recognising the greatest individual season by a Ballon d’Or winner. It was launched for the Ballon d’Or’s 70th anniversary, with fans choosing from 10 players who had each won the trophy at least twice.

Q: How many goals did Ronaldo score in 2008?
A: Ronaldo scored 42 goals in all competitions in his 2008 campaign, including 31 in the Premier League. He won the Golden Boot, lifted the Premier League and Champions League with Manchester United, and scored in the final against Chelsea.

Q: Does the B.O.A.T. result prove Ronaldo is better than Messi?
A: No. Fans voted for individual seasons, not entire careers, so the result recognises Ronaldo’s 2008 as the most popular single year. It isn’t an official verdict on who is the greatest player of all time.

Q: How many Ballon d’Or awards have Ronaldo and Messi won?
A: Ronaldo has won five Ballon d’Or awards, in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017. Messi holds the record with eight. Together they filled all 10 places in the B.O.A.T. top 10.