Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 05:19am on 29 Oct 2026,Thursday Sports
Cristiano Ronaldo defeated Lionel Messi in the inaugural Ballon d’Or of All Time (B.O.A.T.) fan vote, winning recognition for his 2008 season at Manchester United. Introduced to mark the Ballon d’Or’s 70th anniversary, the poll invited fans to select the greatest Ballon d’Or-winning season from 10 players who had won the award at least twice. However, the final rankings became a contest between Ronaldo and Messi, with the two footballers occupying all 10 positions. Several celebrated players, including Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, Marco van Basten, Franz Beckenbauer and Ronaldo Nazario, failed to make the final rankings. Ronaldo scored 42 goals in 2008, helping Manchester United win both the Premier League and Champions League. (PC: AP)
