Ronaldo Edges Messi in All-Time Ballon d'Or Vote — SkimNews
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- Cristiano Ronaldo won France Football’s “Ballon d’Or of All Time” after a monthlong public online vote, narrowly finishing ahead of Lionel Messi; the 41-year-old Al Nassr forward earned the retrospective prize.
- Ronaldo was recognized for his 2007-08 Manchester United season, scoring 42 goals in all competitions as the team won the Premier League and Champions League; that campaign produced his first Ballon d’Or.
- Portugal's FA congratulated its captain on X: “From 2008 to eternity. The greatest Ballon d’Or winner of all time is Portuguese. Congratulations, captain!”
- Ronaldo credited supporters worldwide, writing: “Football belongs to the fans! Thank you to all the fans around the world, the Ballon d’Or of All Time is also yours.”
- Manchester United and Real Madrid, two of Ronaldo’s former clubs, publicly acknowledged his latest recognition.
- Ronaldo has won five Ballon d’Or awards overall, four of them with Real Madrid in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
- Ronaldo is approaching 1,000 career goals and is already the leading men’s international scorer with 143 goals in 225 games.
Why it matters: Ronaldo gains a retrospective honor over Messi, while the cited 2007-08 season—42 goals in a Premier League and Champions League double—supplies the stated basis for the vote. Five career Ballon d’Ors and 143 international goals in 225 appearances add context to the narrow result.
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