Ronaldo wins paid fan vote for greatest Ballon d'Or season
The Portuguese footballer's 2008 Manchester United campaign topped a new B.O.A.T. award decided by supporters who paid to vote.
At a glance
- Ronaldo's 2008 Manchester United season won the newly introduced B.O.A.T. award
- The award was decided by fan vote, with each vote costing €1
- Messi's 2012 season finished second; Ronaldo's 2017 Real Madrid campaign came third
- Over 5,000 participants voted multiple times in the public ballot
Cristiano Ronaldo has won the B.O.A.T. award, a newly introduced honour celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Ballon d'Or. The award recognises the greatest season by a player who has won the Ballon d'Or at least twice. Ronaldo's 2008 campaign at Manchester United finished first, ahead of Lionel Messi's 2012 season, when Messi scored 91 goals in a calendar year.
Unlike the traditional Ballon d'Or, which is decided by journalists, the B.O.A.T. was determined by public vote. Each vote cost €1, and supporters could vote multiple times. According to organisers, over 5,000 participants voted more than once, with 44 casting between 10 and 26 votes each.
Why it matters
The B.O.A.T. award marks the first time the Ballon d'Or organisation has held a paid public vote to determine a major honour, shifting decision-making from journalists to supporters.
Original reporting
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