'And' Ronaldo beats Messi! Wins "Greatest Ballon d'Or of All Time" award... "Ronaldo in 2008 was better than Messi in 2012"

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Cristiano Ronaldo (41, Al Nassr) took first place in the "Greatest Ballon d'Or of All Time" vote selected directly by football fans, surpassing Lionel Messi (39, Inter Miami).

This vote was conducted online for approximately one month by "France Football," the French football magazine that oversees the Ballon d'Or, to commemorate its 70th anniversary. Fans directly selected the greatest based on the performances of players who have won the Ballon d'Or two or more times in their award-winning years.

As a result of the vote, Ronaldo's performance in 2008, when he won his first-ever Ballon d'Or, was selected as number one overall. During the 2007-08 season, while playing for Manchester United, Ronaldo recorded 31 goals in the English Premier League (EPL), leading the scoring title and league championship. He also lifted the team to the top of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) with 8 goals and 2 assists, leaving an overwhelming record of 42 goals across all official matches that season. Ronaldo, who has won the Ballon d'Or five times in his career, raised his first trophy in 2008 based on this achievement.

Second place went to Messi's 2012 Ballon d'Or. In the 2011-12 season, while with Barcelona, Messi recorded an incredible scoring ability of 73 goals in total official matches, including 50 goals in Spain's La Liga and 14 in the UCL. He also led his team to victory in four tournaments—the Copa del Rey (King's Cup), Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup—to claim that year's Ballon d'Or.

This vote once again proved the long-standing rivalry and overwhelming status of so-called "Messi-Ronaldo." Of the top 14 rankings, 13 spots were swept by Ronaldo's and Messi's award-winning years. In addition to the two players, legendary figures such as Ronaldo, Kevin Keegan, Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, Franz Beckenbauer, and Marco van Basten made the list within the top 20.

After the results were announced, Ronaldo posted on his social media (SNS) on the 30th (Korean time), stating, "Football belongs to the fans," and expressed his feelings by saying, "I am grateful to all fans around the world. The honor of the greatest Ballon d'Or of all time also belongs to you." The official SNS of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) commemorated the first-place selection with the message, "From 2008 to eternity. The greatest winner is a Portuguese player. Congratulations, captain."

Meanwhile, this fan vote, as a 70th-anniversary commemorative event, is not included in the official Ballon d'Or win count. Harry Kane of England won the 2026 Ballon d'Or for this year. In this year's main award voting, Messi recorded fifth place, while Ronaldo has failed to make the candidate list since 2022.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original