In the year of the 70th Ballon d’Or, fans are voting on the greatest achievements of past winners. One candidate is already well clear. The voting process, however, raises questions.
Which Ballon d’Or year was the greatest of them all? That is the question behind a fan vote organised by the Ballon d’Or. On the ballot are 32 awards won by ten football legends who each claimed the prize at least twice, among them Franz Beckenbauer, Kevin Keegan, Ronaldo Nazário, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The vote is called the “Ballon d’Or Of All Time” (B.O.A.T.) and runs until 27 October. On 20 October, the Ballon d’Or published interim standings that point to a clear favourite.
Cristiano Ronaldo Leads the Ballon d’Or Of All Time With 75 Per Cent
Cristiano Ronaldo’s first Ballon d’Or, from 2008, has 75 per cent of the votes cast so far. Lionel Messi’s 2012 award is second on nine per cent, with Ronaldo third again, this time with his 2017 Ballon d’Or on six per cent. Between them, two of the Portuguese forward’s five awards account for 81 per cent of all votes.
Ronaldo won his first Ballon d’Or after the 2007-08 season. With Manchester United, he won the Premier League and the Champions League and scored 42 goals in all competitions. He found the net in the final against Chelsea, which United won on penalties. He received the award in December 2008, aged 23.
Messi’s 2012 Ballon d’Or followed a record-breaking year. The Argentinian scored 91 goals for Barcelona and Argentina that year – more than any other player has managed in a calendar year. For now, it is not enough to top the vote.
Alongside the two long-time rivals, eight other players are in contention, including Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, Marco van Basten, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Alfredo Di Stéfano.
Voters are not choosing between whole careers. Each Ballon d’Or win is on the ballot in its own right, which is why Messi appears eight times and Ronaldo five.
Ballon d’Or: Each Vote Costs One Euro
The size of Ronaldo’s lead for 2008 can only be assessed in the light of the voting rules. Unlike an ordinary online poll, taking part is not free: each vote costs one euro. The €1 payment officially covers a digital photograph and access to the Ballon d’Or Community.
Fans can also vote as many times as they like. Each additional vote costs another euro.
That limits what the figures can tell us. Ronaldo’s share for 2008 refers to all the votes cast. It does not mean that three quarters of those taking part chose that award.
The published figures do not show how many people have voted so far, or how many votes have been cast in total. Nor do they reveal how often individual participants have voted more than once.
Within the rules of the vote, the lead is clear-cut. Whether it rests on a particularly large number of supporters or on repeat votes is impossible to say. The vote does not provide a representative picture of opinion among football fans worldwide.
Ballon d’Or Of All Time: Result Due on 28 October
This year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony takes place in London on 26 October. The B.O.A.T. vote runs separately until 11.59pm Central European Time on 27 October. The result is due to be announced on 28 October.
It is a fan vote; no separate trophy has been announced. Everyone who votes is also entered into a draw for two tickets to the 2027 ceremony.
The shares may still shift before voting closes. Whether Ronaldo’s 2008 award holds on to its lead will be known on 28 October.
