Cristiano Ronaldo has taken a huge lead over Lionel Messi in a special Ballon d’Or fan vote. His legendary 2008 season has reportedly attracted 62% of the votes, but the final result has not yet been announced.

Ronaldo Leaves Messi Far Behind in Special Ballon d’Or Vote Ahead of 2026 Ceremony

Cristiano Ronaldo has taken a remarkable lead over Lionel Messi in a special Ballon d’Or vote, putting the Portuguese superstar in a strong position to win another honour.

With the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony approaching, the famous rivalry between two of football’s greatest players has attracted fresh attention.

This time, however, the competition is not about the main Ballon d’Or award for 2026.

It is a special fan vote organised by the official Ballon d’Or platform to celebrate the greatest winning season in the award’s history.

According to voting figures reported on October 18, Ronaldo’s incredible 2008 season is leading with 62% of the votes.

Ronaldo takes huge lead over Messi

The special competition is called B.O.A.T., which stands for Ballon d’Or Of All Time.

Fans can choose their favourite Ballon d’Or-winning season from players who have won the prestigious award at least twice.

And the reported results show a surprising difference between Ronaldo and Messi.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2008 Ballon d’Or victory has received 62% of the votes in the reported standings.

Meanwhile, Lionel Messi’s historic 2012 season is second with just 13%.

Messi’s 2023 Ballon d’Or victory follows with 9%.

That means Ronaldo’s 2008 season was leading Messi’s 2012 season by an incredible 49 percentage points.

However, these are provisional figures reported by the media, not the final result.

Why is Ronaldo’s 2008 season so special?

Ronaldo’s 2008 Ballon d’Or victory came after one of the greatest seasons of his career.

Playing for Manchester United, the Portuguese forward produced extraordinary performances under Sir Alex Ferguson.

During the 2007/08 campaign, Ronaldo scored 42 goals across all competitions.

He helped Manchester United win both the Premier League and the Champions League.

Ronaldo also scored 31 Premier League goals and finished as the competition’s top scorer.

His incredible performances earned him the first Ballon d’Or of his career in December 2008.

For many supporters, that season remains one of the most memorable individual campaigns in modern football history.

Messi’s legendary 2012 season falls behind

Interestingly, Messi’s 2012 season is also considered one of the greatest individual years in football history.

The Argentine superstar scored an incredible 91 goals during the 2012 calendar year.

That achievement remains one of the most famous goalscoring records in football.

Messi also won his fourth consecutive Ballon d’Or, becoming the first player to achieve that milestone.

However, despite those extraordinary numbers, his 2012 award has attracted significantly fewer votes than Ronaldo’s 2008 victory in the reported B.O.A.T. standings.

The poll also includes Messi’s other Ballon d’Or-winning years, meaning fans can choose different seasons from his career.

How does the special Ballon d’Or vote work?

The official Ballon d’Or website launched the B.O.A.T. competition to allow supporters to celebrate football’s greatest individual seasons.

The vote includes legendary players such as Ronaldo, Messi, Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, Marco van Basten and Ronaldo Nazario.

However, there is one important detail about the voting process.

Each vote requires a payment of €1, and supporters are allowed to vote more than once.

Fans can vote repeatedly for the same player or choose different winning seasons.

This means the percentages show the share of paid votes, not the percentage of football fans worldwide who support each player.

The competition is separate from the official voting process used to decide the 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or winner.

When will the winner be announced?

According to the official Ballon d’Or website, voting will close on October 27, 2026, at 11:59 PM Paris time.

The final results are scheduled to be announced on October 28.

Ronaldo currently holds a huge advantage in the reported standings, but he has not officially won the special title.

Fans still have time to vote, meaning the results could change before the deadline.

The competition is also part of the celebrations surrounding the Ballon d’Or’s 70th anniversary.

Another chapter in the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry

Ronaldo and Messi have dominated discussions about football’s greatest players for nearly two decades.

Messi has won eight Ballon d’Or awards, while Ronaldo has won five.

Both have produced unforgettable seasons and broken extraordinary records throughout their careers.

Now their rivalry has returned through a special competition celebrating the greatest Ballon d’Or-winning season of all time.

Ronaldo’s 2008 campaign is currently the clear leader in the reported results.

But Messi’s 2012 season remains one of the most famous individual achievements in football history.

Ronaldo moves closer to another special honour

At 41 years old, Cristiano Ronaldo continues to attract enormous support from football fans around the world.

His legendary 2008 season has given him a major advantage in this special Ballon d’Or competition.

With a reported 62% of the votes, Ronaldo is currently far ahead of Messi’s most popular entry in the poll.

However, the final result will not be confirmed until October 28.

And while the B.O.A.T. title is different from the main Ballon d’Or, winning it would give Ronaldo another special achievement to celebrate.

For now, the Portuguese legend is leading the race, but football fans will have to wait to discover whether he can keep his advantage until the voting ends.