UEFA and France Football have launched a new award called the BOAT, intended to crown the greatest Ballon d'Or winner of all time among players who have won the individual prize at least twice. In the first edition of the fan vote, Cristiano Ronaldo finished ahead of Lionel Messi, with voters required to pay €1 -- about $1.10 at the time -- for each ballot they cast.
Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, topped the poll for his 2008 triumph, which came while he was playing for Manchester United. That victory was the first of his five Ballon d'Or wins, with the other four arriving in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017 during his time at Real Madrid.
Messi, who holds the record with eight Ballon d'Or wins, finished second in the BOAT vote for his 2012 award. Ronaldo also took third place in the poll for his 2017 Ballon d'Or, giving him two of the top three spots.
Ronaldo's breakthrough win in focus
The fan vote placed special attention on Ronaldo's first Ballon d'Or success in 2008, when he beat Messi and Spanish striker Fernando Torres to the award.
Voting for the BOAT award closed overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday on the official Ballon d'Or website.
How the vote worked
UEFA and France Football left the selection in fans' hands, offering a shortlist of 10 legendary players who had each won the Ballon d'Or at least twice. Despite the prestige attached to the award, participation came at a cost: supporters had to pay €1 for every vote submitted. As an incentive, UEFA also offered voters entry into a drawing for two tickets to the 2027 Ballon d'Or gala.
Ronaldo's win in the BOAT vote adds another chapter to his long-running rivalry with Messi, though the result reflects the outcome of a paid fan poll rather than a definitive consensus on which player stands as the greatest Ballon d'Or winner of all time.
