Ronaldo 2008 Manchester United Campaign Wins Fan Vote Over Messi 2012

Cristiano Ronaldo took first place in the first fan-voted Ballon d'Or of All Time with his 2008 Manchester United season, beating Lionel Messi's 2012 campaign.

NationPulse Desk

Oct 29, 2026 · 6:56 PM 1 min read

Key takeaways

Cristiano Ronaldo won first place with his 2008 Manchester United season in the first Ballon d'Or of All Time fan vote.

Lionel Messi took second place with his 2012 campaign.

All five of Ronaldo's Ballon d'Or-winning seasons finished inside the top 10.

Messi's campaigns filled the remaining spots in the top 10, leaving eight other nominated players outside the list.

Cristiano Ronaldo and his 2008 Manchester United season took first place ahead of Lionel Messi and his 2012 campaign during the first fan vote for the Ballon d'Or of All Time, as reported by Pubity.

Fans put Ronaldo's United season first

Supporters were asked to pick the best Ballon d'Or-winning season ever. The 2008 run by Ronaldo claimed the top spot, while Messi's 2012 year finished in second place.

The outcome was revealed as the inaugural Ballon d'Or of All Time award, determined entirely by supporters.

Two rivals take the entire top 10

The control held by Ronaldo and Messi went past just the top two spots. All five of the Ballon d'Or-winning seasons for Ronaldo made the top 10, while Messi seasons took up the rest of the positions.

First place: Ronaldo's 2008 season with Manchester United.
Second place: Messi's 2012 campaign.
Top 10: five Ronaldo seasons and five Messi seasons.

Pubity stated that eight other nominated players did not make the top 10, keeping the final standings filled only by the two competitors.

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