The inaugural Ballon d’Or of All Time, marketed as the “BOAT,” was decided by a fan vote at €1 per entry and no cap on how many ballots a single supporter could buy. Figures from France Football, reported by football360, show that 5,009 people voted more than once: 4,665 cast between two and four ballots, 300 voted five to nine times, and 44 voted between 10 and 26 times.
Announced on Wednesday, 28 October, the award names Ronaldo’s 2008 campaign at Manchester United as the greatest individual Ballon d’Or season in the trophy’s 70-year history. Lionel Messi’s 2012 Barcelona season, when he scored 91 goals in a calendar year, finished second, with Ronaldo’s 2017 Real Madrid campaign third.
Every ballot was also entered into a prize draw for two tickets to the 2027 Ballon d’Or ceremony, according to Yahoo Sports, an incentive critics say explains why thousands of fans bought themselves repeat votes.
A symbolic trophy with no trophy
Unlike the main Ballon d’Or, which is decided by a panel of specialist football journalists, the BOAT carries no physical award and no formal weighting of expert opinion. Gulf News labelled it “a symbolic fan poll” and argued that “a paid popularity contest is certainly no way to decide the greatest Ballon d’Or winning season.”
Read also: ‘If they force me, I have no choice’: Dylan Teuns retires
Ronaldo’s 2007-08 campaign at Old Trafford produced 42 goals across all competitions, 31 of them in the Premier League, as Manchester United won the English title and the Champions League.
Ronaldo and Messi filled the top 12
The two forwards swept every one of the top 12 places, with Brazilian striker Ronaldo Nazário the first player outside the pair at 13th. The top 10 published by Yahoo Sports read:
- Cristiano Ronaldo, 2008
- Lionel Messi, 2012
- Cristiano Ronaldo, 2017
- Lionel Messi, 2023
- Cristiano Ronaldo, 2016
- Cristiano Ronaldo, 2014
- Lionel Messi, 2015
- Cristiano Ronaldo, 2013
- Lionel Messi, 2011
- Lionel Messi, 2009
The 2026 Ballon d’Or itself was handed out on Monday, two days before the BOAT reveal, in Paris. Voting for the fan award closed at 11:59pm Paris time on Tuesday, 27 October, with results published the following day through the Ballon d’Or’s official channels.
Read also: Opta: 40-point deduction would push Manchester City past 50 per cent relegation risk
