Cristiano Ronaldo has opened a huge lead over Lionel Messi in the Ballon d’Or’s special B.O.A.T. fan vote, although the competition is very different from the traditional annual award.

Cristiano Ronaldo leaves Lionel Messi far behind in special Ballon d’Or race

Cristiano Ronaldo has opened a huge lead over Lionel Messi in a special Ballon d’Or vote that is currently attracting major attention from football fans.

The official Ballon d’Or website is running a fan competition called B.O.A.T., or Ballon d’Or Of All Time.

The vote asks supporters to choose the greatest Ballon d’Or-winning season in history.

And Ronaldo’s famous 2008 version is currently well ahead of every Messi entry.

Ronaldo opens huge lead over Messi

According to the latest figures being reported, Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2008 Ballon d’Or season currently has around 52% of the vote.

Lionel Messi’s 2012 version is his closest challenger with around 20%.

Messi’s 2023 Ballon d’Or season is further behind with approximately 13%.

That means Ronaldo 2008 currently has more than twice the support of Messi 2012.

The numbers can still change before voting closes, but Ronaldo has created a very large early advantage.

Why Ronaldo 2008 is so popular

Ronaldo’s 2008 season is considered one of the greatest individual years of his career.

The Portuguese star was outstanding for Manchester United and helped the club win major trophies.

He won the Premier League and Champions League while also finishing as one of Europe’s leading goalscorers.

That incredible season eventually earned Ronaldo the first Ballon d’Or of his career.

Messi’s votes are spread across several years

There is one important reason why Ronaldo 2008 may be building such a strong lead.

The vote does not simply ask fans to choose between Ronaldo and Messi.

Instead, every Ballon d’Or-winning year is treated as a separate option.

That means Messi supporters can choose from many different versions of the Argentine legend.

Messi has eight Ballon d’Or-winning years in the vote, while Ronaldo’s support appears to be strongly focused on his 2008 season.

Messi 2012 remains his strongest entry

Among Messi’s different Ballon d’Or seasons, 2012 is currently receiving the most support.

That is not surprising.

Messi produced one of the most famous scoring years in football history during that period.

He scored 91 goals during the 2012 calendar year, a record that remains one of the most remarkable achievements of his career.

However, even that legendary version of Messi is currently far behind Ronaldo 2008 in the vote.

This is not the 2026 Ballon d’Or

There is an important clarification surrounding the competition.

The B.O.A.T. vote is not the normal Ballon d’Or award for 2026.

It does not decide who is the best footballer of the current season.

Instead, fans are choosing the greatest Ballon d’Or-winning season from the past.

The result therefore has no effect on the official 2026 Ballon d’Or ranking.

It is also not the Super Ballon d’Or

Some fans have also confused the vote with the famous Super Ballon d’Or.

But the two are completely different.

The Super Ballon d’Or is an extremely rare honour that was previously awarded to Alfredo Di Stéfano.

The current B.O.A.T. competition is simply an official Ballon d’Or fan vote.

Each vote costs €1

The voting system has also created plenty of debate.

According to the official Ballon d’Or website, supporters must make a €1 contribution for every vote they cast.

Fans are also allowed to vote more than once.

That means the final result can be strongly influenced by the most active fanbases.

It is therefore very different from the traditional Ballon d’Or voting system, which is decided by selected journalists.

Ronaldo fans appear to be strongly united

Another interesting part of the current standings is how heavily Ronaldo’s support is focused on 2008.

His other Ballon d’Or-winning seasons have received much smaller percentages.

That suggests many Ronaldo supporters see his Manchester United version as the best individual period of his career.

That concentration of votes has helped Ronaldo 2008 build a huge advantage over Messi’s different entries.

The Messi-Ronaldo rivalry continues

Even years after their famous rivalry in Spain, Ronaldo and Messi continue to dominate football debates.

Any vote involving the two legends immediately attracts huge attention.

This B.O.A.T. competition is another example.

Ronaldo currently has the advantage, but the voting period is still open and the numbers can change.

When will the winner be announced?

The official Ballon d’Or website says voting will close on October 27.

The final result is scheduled to be announced on October 28.

Until then, fans can continue supporting their favourite Ballon d’Or-winning season.

For now, however, Cristiano Ronaldo 2008 remains comfortably ahead of Lionel Messi’s strongest entries.

Ronaldo holds commanding lead

The current standings have once again put Ronaldo and Messi at the centre of a major football debate.

Ronaldo 2008 is currently attracting more than half of the votes, while Messi’s strongest version remains well behind.

If the current trend continues, Ronaldo could finish as the winner of the Ballon d’Or’s special B.O.A.T. fan vote.

But with voting still open, the final chapter of this latest Ronaldo-Messi battle has not yet been written.