Cristiano Ronaldo expressed his gratitude to football fans worldwide upon receiving the inaugural Ballon d’Or of All Time (BOAT) award, emphasising that the recognition belonged to them as well.
“Football belongs to the fans! Thank you to all the fans around the world, the Ballon D’Or of All Time is also yours,” he wrote on Instagram.
The award honours Ronaldo’s 2008 season with Manchester United, which was voted the greatest individual campaign in the history of the Ballon d’Or. France Football introduced the BOAT award, designed to determine which Ballon d’Or-winning season stands above all others.
Ronaldo won the BOAT award following a fan-based voting process that surpassed the traditional Ballon d’Or’s journalist panel system. His first Ballon d’Or victory was chosen over Lionel Messi’s 2012 season, when Messi scored a record 91 goals, according to Goal.com.
Other multiple Ballon d’Or winners nominated included Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, Marco van Basten, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Kevin Keegan and Franz Beckenbauer, as well as Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano and Brazilian forward Ronaldo Nazario.
Fans paid a fee of one euro to vote, with the organisers offering a prize draw for two tickets to the 2027 Ballon d’Or ceremony as an incentive. Thousands participated, with over 5,000 fans voting multiple times to support their preferred campaigns. Ronaldo and Messi dominated the top 12 positions, with Brazil’s Ronaldo Nazario placing 13th with his 2002 Ballon d’Or-winning campaign.