Cristiano Ronaldo has beaten long-time rival Lionel Messi to win the Ballon d'Or of All Time (B.O.A.T.) recognition, following an online vote celebrating the greatest Ballon d'Or-winning seasons in football history.
The special poll, introduced to mark the 70th anniversary of the Ballon d'Or, ranked Ronaldo's 2008 campaign with Manchester United as the greatest winning season, ahead of Messi's record-breaking 2012 calendar year.
Ronaldo enjoyed a remarkable 2007/08 season, scoring 42 goals in all competitions and helping Manchester United win both the Premier League and UEFA Champions League.
He finished as the Premier League's top scorer with 31 goals, won the European Golden Shoe and scored in United's Champions League final victory over Chelsea.
His performances earned him his first Ballon d'Or in December 2008, establishing him as one of the leading players in world football.
Ronaldo's campaign finished ahead of Messi's extraordinary 2012 season, during which the Argentine scored a record 91 goals in a calendar year. The rankings also featured other award-winning seasons from both players, reflecting their dominance of the sport over nearly two decades.
However, figures released by the online platform that hosted the vote have drawn attention to the extent of repeat voting. According to the platform's breakdown, 5,009 participants voted more than once.
Of that number, 44 people voted between 10 and 26 times, 300 voted between five and nine times, while 4,665 participants voted between two and four times.
The voting system reportedly allowed participants to cast additional votes for a fee of €1 per entry. While the figures highlight the scale of repeat voting, they do not establish whether it affected the final ranking or changed the winner.
Despite Ronaldo's victory in the special poll, Messi remains the record holder for the most official Ballon d'Or awards, with eight, compared with Ronaldo's five.
The Ballon d'Or of All Time recognition is separate from the annual Ballon d'Or award and should not be confused with an official declaration of the greatest footballer in history.
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