Cristiano Ronaldo wins the Ballon d'Or of All Time award, defeating Lionel Messi

Updated 2026-10-31 · told from many outlets at once

Cristiano Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or five times, with his 2008 season named the greatest in the award's history. Ronaldo scored 42 goals for Manchester United in 2007-08 and 31 in the 2008 Premier League.

Cristiano Ronaldo won the Ballon d’Or five times.
Ronaldo's 2008 season beat Lionel Messi's 2012 campaign in the Ballon d’Or of All Time poll.
Ronaldo scored 42 goals across all competitions in the 2007-08 season with Manchester United.
Lionel Messi's 2012 award ranked second in the fan classification.
France Football organized a fan vote to rank greatest Ballon d’Or-winning seasons.
France Football announced that 5,009 people voted more than once.

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