Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2008 d’Or triumph is leading a fan poll to determine the greatest Ballon d’Or winner of all time, securing 75 per cent of the votes cast so far.
The organisers disclosed this in a piece published on the official Ballon d’Or website on Tuesday, saying voting would remain open until October 27, ahead of the announcement of the final results on October 28.
The poll, dubbed the Greatest Ballon d’Or of All Time (BOAT), invites fans to choose the most outstanding Ballon d’Or-winning performance in the history of the prestigious individual football award.
According to the organisers, Lionel Messi’s 2012 Ballon d’Or triumph ranks second with nine per cent of the votes, while Ronaldo’s 2017 victory occupies third place with six per cent.
The standings mean Ronaldo has two of the three leading entries in the ongoing poll.
“Ronaldo’s 2008 campaign with Manchester United saw him win the Premier League and UEFA Champions League titles.
“He also claimed the European Golden Shoe and scored 42 goals across all competitions,” it read.
The 2008 Ballon d’Or was the Portuguese forward’s first win of the award.
Messi’s 2012 triumph, meanwhile, came in a year in which the “Argentine scored 91 goals for club and country across the calendar year, a record that remains unbeaten.”
Other former winners featured in the poll include Ronaldo Nazário, Marco van Basten, Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff, Kevin Keegan, Franz Beckenbauer and Alfredo Di Stéfano. The organisers said the legendary players were trailing the leading contenders, with their combined share of the votes remaining very small.
The organisers clarified that the BOAT initiative is a public vote celebrating fans’ passion for football and is not an official trophy.
They added that the results could still change before voting closes on Tuesday, October 27, with the final standings scheduled for release the following day.
Fans can cast their votes through the official Ballon d’Or website. Participants will also receive a photograph of the first Ballon d’Or, presented in 1956, and be entered into a prize draw for a ticket to the 2027 Ballon d’Or ceremony.
The release concluded that “Voting is available at https://ballondor.com/vote.”