After a full month of voting, Cristiano Ronaldo has been named the first-ever winner of the 'Ballon d'Or of All Time' –BOAT fan vote award.
The BOAT Fan Vote Contest
Ronaldo placed higher than Lionel Messi, his longtime rival, on the combined list. Behind them, in descending order were:
- Johan Cruyff,
- Michel Platini,
- Basten,
- Karl-Heinz Rummenigge,
- Kevin Keegan,
- Franz Beckenbauer,
- Brazil's Ronaldo Nazario and,
- Alfredo Di Stefano, whom many see as a Real Madrid legend.
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Cristiano Ronaldo was honoured for his remarkable 2007/08 campaign, in which he helped United lift both the Premier League and the Champions League.
That season he netted 42 goals in every competition, a tally that earned him a first Ballon d'Or and placed him alongside earlier United winners George Best, Sir Bobby Charlton and Denis Law.
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France Football supervised the maiden BOAT fan vote award, which was presented as an opportunity for supporters to pick the finest Ballon d'Or winner in history.
Debate and Criticism
However, this milestone achievement has faced criticisms. There is a debate that the monetary cost of fan votes may have affected the outcome of the contest. It is uncertain if it enabled unlimited or multiple submissions.
Some football enthusiasts, critics and analysts note that the outcome heavily measured organised digital fan mobilisation and financial willingness rather than a regular yardstick of one-person, one-vote consensus.
Moreso, Ronaldo enjoys an enormous following across social media platforms. This may have been an unfair advantage for him in this maiden BOAT fan contest.
It is worth mentioning, according to BeIN Sports, that the vote is a one-off celebration marking 70 years of the award, organised by France Football, and it leaves the official count of career honours untouched: Messi still has eight Ballon d'Or wins against five for Ronaldo.
