Cristiano Ronaldo has finally reacted after defeating Lionel Messi in the Ballon d’Or of All Time vote. The Portuguese superstar shared an emotional message with fans following his special victory.

Ronaldo Breaks Silence After Beating Messi in Special Ballon d’Or Vote

Cristiano Ronaldo has finally spoken out after beating Lionel Messi to win the special Ballon d’Or of All Time (B.O.A.T.) award in 2026.

The 41-year-old Portuguese superstar finished ahead of his longtime rival in a special fan vote organised to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Ballon d’Or.

Following the announcement, Ronaldo shared an emotional message on social media on October 29, thanking supporters around the world for their incredible support.

Ronaldo sends special message after beating Messi

Ronaldo celebrated his victory by sharing a photograph of himself kissing his first Ballon d’Or trophy, which he won in 2008.

Alongside the image, the Al Nassr captain wrote:

“Football belongs to the fans! Thank you to all the fans around the world, the Ballon D’Or of All Time is also yours.”

The message quickly attracted attention from football fans worldwide.

Rather than directly mentioning Messi, Ronaldo dedicated his latest achievement to the supporters who helped him win the vote.

Ronaldo’s historic 2008 season beats Messi’s 2012 campaign

The special vote allowed fans to choose the greatest individual season among previous Ballon d’Or winners.

Ronaldo’s incredible 2008 campaign with Manchester United finished first, ahead of Messi’s record-breaking 2012 season with Barcelona.

During the 2007/08 season, Ronaldo scored 42 goals in all competitions and helped Manchester United win both the Premier League and Champions League.

His outstanding performances earned him his first Ballon d’Or.

Ronaldo also finished third in the special vote with his 2017 Ballon d’Or-winning season at Real Madrid.

Does Ronaldo now have six Ballon d’Or awards?

Despite his latest victory, Ronaldo has not received a sixth official Ballon d’Or.

The B.O.A.T. award was a special online fan vote rather than the traditional annual award decided by football journalists.

Fans could pay €1 per vote and were allowed to vote more than once.

Ronaldo therefore remains a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, while Lionel Messi continues to hold the record with eight awards.

However, the Portuguese superstar’s latest message shows how much he values the support of his fans.

After another memorable victory over Messi in a special football vote, Ronaldo has made one thing clear: this achievement belongs to his supporters as much as it belongs to him.