Cristiano Ronaldo dominates Messi in all-time Ballon d’Or vote with less than a week to go

The never-ending debate over who is the most influential soccer player of all time has taken an unexpected and highly publicized turn just days before another major awards ceremony. With less than a week to go before the prestigious trophy is handed out at The London Palladium in England, an official initiative has set social media ablaze and sparked an all-out voting battle among soccer fans around the world.

To celebrate seven decades of soccer history, organizers launched a public poll to choose the B.O.A.T. (Best Of All Time). Only legendary players who have won the trophy at least twice during their careers are eligible to take part in this exclusive contest.

Unlike the traditional award, whose winner is determined entirely by an international jury of journalists, this symbolic vote has been opened up to the general public through digital platforms. The unusual voting system requires fans to pay one euro per vote, with users allowed to cast an unlimited number of votes for their preferred candidate.

A commanding lead in the online vote

The first partial results shown by the real-time voting system have produced a striking picture: Cristiano Ronaldo sits comfortably at the top of the poll with a commanding 62% of the total vote. The version of the Portuguese superstar leading the standings is his spectacular 2008 campaign, when he was playing for Manchester United and produced an unforgettable season capped by Champions League and Premier League titles.

Lionel Messi, meanwhile, sits second with 13% of the vote for his extraordinary 2012 campaign, the year in which he set the all-time record of 91 goals in a calendar year. Close behind is Messi's 2023 version with 9%, following his role in leading Argentina to the World Cup title in Qatar.

The enormous gap in favor of the Portuguese forward has drawn considerable attention from outlets such as Clarín, which highlighted how the distribution of votes has benefited Ronaldo's first great European triumph. Messi, on the other hand, is seeing his support divided among the eight different award-winning campaigns represented in the poll.

The rules behind the historic contest and the other legends

The format established by organizers evaluates each individual season in which a player won the award separately, explaining why the players with the most trophies are effectively competing against themselves in different slots. In addition to Ronaldo's 2008 campaign and Messi's 2012 and 2023 seasons, Ronaldo's 2007 (7%) and 2016 (2%) campaigns are also receiving votes.

The exclusive list of 10 legends selected by organizers is completed by some of the greatest names in soccer history: Alfredo Di Stéfano, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, Michel Platini, Marco van Basten, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Kevin Keegan and Ronaldo Nazário. However, outlets including El Liberal and La Gaceta have focused their coverage almost entirely on the head-to-head battle between the two giants of 21st-century soccer.

The public vote will remain open until midnight on the eve of the main gala on October 26, when the final tally will be locked in. As the countdown continues, fans are taking advantage of their remaining opportunities, paying the required fee to push their idols toward the top of the historic ranking.

Two legends chasing the 1,000-goal milestone

Beyond this symbolic battle in the online polls, both the Rosario-born star and the Funchal native continue to put up remarkable numbers while still playing professional soccer. Despite their ages and having moved away from the center stage of European soccer, both superstars remain locked in another race: becoming the first player in the modern era to officially reach 1,000 career goals.

Cristiano Ronaldo leads that scoring race and is closing in on the historic milestone after surpassing 980 goals in more than 1,300 appearances. The Inter Miami star, meanwhile, continues his pursuit having surpassed 935 goals in more than 1,100 official appearances.

The outcome of the B.O.A.T. poll will serve as a blockbuster appetizer before the new owner of the coveted golden trophy is revealed in the British capital. What is already clear, as reflected by sports media coverage around the world, is that the greatest soccer rivalry of the modern era shows no signs of fading and continues to mobilize millions of fans across the globe.