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Now, the results are in. The winner is none other than Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo, for his 2008 triumph!
As we all know, CR7 is one of the most decorated players in Ballon d’Or history, having lifted the prestigious trophy five times throughout his illustrious career. But with so many iconic victories to choose from, what made his first win stand out above the rest?
To understand why fans have chosen 2008 as the greatest Ballon d’Or win of all time, we need to go back to where it all began.
The rise of a Portuguese phenomenon
By the time he claimed the 2008 Ballon d’Or, Ronaldo had completed his fifth full season at Manchester United.
He had arrived from Sporting CP in August 2003, aged just 18, becoming the first Portuguese player ever to wear the Red Devils shirt.
The expectations were immense from the very beginning. United manager Sir Alex Ferguson had been mesmerised by the young winger’s extraordinary talent: his pace, strength, dribbling, finishing and seemingly endless appetite for hard work.
The weight of that expectation was reflected in the shirt number Ronaldo was handed. He inherited Manchester United’s iconic No. 7, previously worn by the likes of 1968 Ballon d’Or winner George Best, as well as club legends Eric Cantona and David Beckham.
It was a shirt steeped in history, and one that demanded greatness.
Ronaldo, of course, would deliver - and then some.
With every passing season, he grew into an increasingly formidable force, transforming from a dazzling young prospect into one of the most feared players in world football.
Then came the 2007-08 season - the finest of his career so far.
A season for the ages
Still in his early 20s, Ronaldo produced a campaign that saw him conquer both English and European football, establishing himself as the driving force behind Manchester United’s success on both fronts.
In the Premier League, his 31 goals helped United secure their 17th English league title. His remarkable scoring run also earned him the Golden Boot, finishing seven goals clear of the season’s joint-second-highest scorers, Emmanuel Adebayor and Fernando Torres, who each found the net 24 times.
Those 31 goals also equalled the highest total ever recorded in a 38-game Premier League season, matching the record first set by Alan Shearer with Blackburn Rovers in 1995-96.
It was also during that season in which Ronaldo scored his first hat-trick for Manchester United, playing a starring role in a 6-0 demolition of Newcastle United.
But while his domestic exploits were extraordinary, his ambitions stretched far beyond England.
Conquering Europe
On the continental stage, Ronaldo helped lead Manchester United to their third Champions League title - and their first in almost a decade.
The campaign culminated in an all-English final against Chelsea, which ended 1-1 after extra time. Ronaldo scored United’s only goal of the night before the Red Devils eventually secured the trophy in a victorious penalty shootout.
His impact across the competition was just as impressive as his performance in the final. With eight goals during the campaign, Ronaldo finished as the Champions League’s top goalscorer that season.
Across all competitions, he registered 42 goals in 49 appearances in 2007-08.
For a player who had arrived at Old Trafford as an 18-year-old with everything to prove, it was a season that announced his arrival among the very best in the world.
And at the end of the year, football's most prestigious individual honour confirmed it.
The Ballon d’Or was finally his
Ronaldo’s performances throughout the season earned him the ultimate individual recognition: the Ballon d’Or.
It was his fifth nomination for the award, having come agonisingly close the previous year, when he finished second behind Brazilian legend Kaká, of AC Milan.
In 2008, however, there would be no stopping him.
By lifting the trophy, Ronaldo became only the third Portuguese player in history to win the Ballon d’Or, after Eusébio (1965) and Luís Figo (2000).
He also became the first Manchester United player to claim the award since George Best, 40 years earlier.
The boy who had arrived in Manchester at just 18 had reached the summit of world football.
And for fans voting in the Ballon d’Or’s B.O.A.T. poll, that achievement still stands above all the rest.
The beginning of a legendary rivalry
Ronaldo’s 2008 victory was more than the crowning moment of a remarkable season. It also marked the beginning of an extraordinary era in football, as he embarked on a rivalry with the man who would go on to become the Ballon d’Or’s record eight-time winner: Argentine superstar Lionel Messi.
The two would dominate the sport’s biggest individual stage for years to come, pushing each other to ever greater heights and shaping one of the defining rivalries in football history.
Messi finishes second in our B.O.A.T. ranking, with his 2012 triumph.
You voted. You decided. Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2008 Ballon d’Or triumph is your greatest Ballon d’Or win of all time.
From his arrival at Manchester United as a teenager to a season that brought domestic glory, European silverware and individual recognition, 2008 was the year Ronaldo announced himself as football’s leading man.
And now, nearly two decades later, fans around the world have ensured that this iconic achievement will be remembered not just as the year CR7 won his first Ballon d’Or, but as the greatest Ballon d’Or victory of all time.
Want to see how the rest of the contenders fared? Click the link below to discover the full B.O.A.T. voting results and rankings.
