Cristiano Ronaldo pips Lionel Messi in Ballon d'Or BOAT award as fans have their say on greatest all-time winner

France Football introduced a new fan-voted award called the 'Ballon d'Or of All-Time' (BOAT) during the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony on Monday, October 26. Cristiano Ronaldo was named the ultimate winner, with his 2008 Ballon d'Or victory topping the fan vote, edging out Lionel Messi's record-setting 2012 campaign. The entire top-five list consisted exclusively of wins by either Ronaldo or Messi, underlining their decade-long dominance of the award.