▲ Cristiano Ronaldo holding the Ballon d'Or trophy
Football star Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) has beaten his longtime rival Lionel Messi (Argentina) to claim the honor of the "Greatest Ballon d'Or of All Time" as chosen by football fans.
France Football, the French football magazine that organizes the Ballon d'Or, announced that Ronaldo's performance from 2008, when he won his first-ever Ballon d'Or, was selected as No. 1 in the fan vote.
Messi's performance during his 2008 win followed in second place.
Notably, the winning years of Ronaldo and Messi swept 13 of the top 14 spots, demonstrating the two players' overwhelming skill and popularity.
This vote was conducted exclusively for players who have won the Ballon d'Or two or more times.
In response, Ronaldo shared through social media, "Football belongs to the fans," adding, "Thank you to all the fans around the world. The glory of the greatest Ballon d'Or ever belongs to you as well."
Ronaldo, who has won the Ballon d'Or five times in his career, had a stellar year during his first win in 2008.
During the 2007-2008 season, while playing for Manchester United in the English Premier League (EPL), he exploded with 31 league goals to lead the team to the title, and also reached the top of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) with 8 goals and 2 assists.
He scored a total of 42 goals across all competitions that season.
Messi, who holds the record with eight Ballon d'Or wins, led his team to victory in the Copa del Rey, the Supercopa de España, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup during the 2011-2012 season.
He claimed the 2012 Ballon d'Or by showing phenomenal scoring power, netting 50 goals in Spain's La Liga and 14 goals in the UCL, totaling 73 goals in official matches.
Meanwhile, the honor of the 2026 Ballon d'Or went to English striker Harry Kane.
Messi ranked fifth in this year's voting, while Ronaldo has not been nominated since 2022.
In addition, legendary players such as Ronaldo (Brazil), Kevin Keegan, Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, Franz Beckenbauer, and Marco van Basten made the top 20 list in the "Greatest Ballon d'Or" fan vote.
(Photo: Getty Images)
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