Cristiano Ronaldo Beats Lionel Messi To Claim Ultimate Ballon d’Or Crown In Fan Vote
\n\nCristiano Ronaldo pipped long-time rival Lionel Messi to win the inaugural Ballon d’Or of All Time (B.O.A.T.) fan vote, with his 2008 campaign at Manchester United earning him the title. The B.O.A.T. was introduced to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Ballon d’Or, allowing the fans to pick the greatest Ballon d’Or-winning season from 10 players who had won the award at least twice.
\n\nHowever, it turned into a battle of Ronaldo vs Messi as the two legends occupied all 10 rankings, with other shortlist legends, including Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, Marco van Basten, Franz Beckenbauer, Alfredo Di Stefano, Kevin Keegan, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Ronaldo Nazario, failing to make the cut.
\n\nFor the unversed, Ronaldo had a stellar run in 2008, where he scored 42 goals across all competitions and helped Manchester United win the Premier League and the Champions League.
\n\nMeanwhile, Messi finished second to Ronaldo in the rankings, with his 2012 campaign voted second best. Messi recorded a historic feat that year, scoring 91 goals for his club and country, breaking a Guinness World Record. Ronaldo's 2017 campaign ranked third in the poll.
\n\nRonaldo…
Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/sports
