Ronaldo’s 2008 Ballon d’Or Campaign Voted Greatest Ever
Cristiano Ronaldo’s sensational 2007/08 season has been voted the greatest Ballon d’Or-winning campaign of all time in a fan poll organised by French magazine France Football.
The Portuguese superstar topped the magazine’s B.O.A.T. (Ballon d’Or of All Time) initiative, beating Lionel Messi’s record-breaking 2012 campaign to claim the top spot.
Ronaldo’s triumph followed a remarkable season with Manchester United, where he scored 42 goals in all competitions, helping the club win both the Premier League and UEFA Champions League.
The forward also finished as the Premier League’s leading scorer with 31 goals and won the European Golden Shoe, cementing his status as one of the world’s best players.
He secured his first Ballon d’Or in 2008 with 446 points from 96 journalists, finishing comfortably ahead of Messi in the original voting.
The fan poll was restricted to players who had won the prestigious award at least twice, with multiple winners such as Ronaldo Nazário, Michel Platini and Marco van Basten also eligible.
France Football clarified that the initiative was a fan-driven celebration of football rather than an official award or a formal journalists’ ranking.
Ronaldo’s victory underscores the lasting impact of his Manchester United achievements and the enduring rivalry with Messi, whose extraordinary 2012 season featured a record-breaking calendar-year goal haul.
Nearly two decades after his first Ballon d’Or triumph, Ronaldo’s 2008 campaign continues to stand out as one of football’s most celebrated individual seasons.
