Cristiano Ronaldo reacts to winning the BOAT award after beating Lionel Messi in the vote

Cristiano Ronaldo has reacted to being named the winner of the Ballon d’Or of All Time award, dedicating the recognition to the supporters. The Portuguese star shared his message on his X account, a day after the result of the public vote was announced.

“Football belongs to the fans! Thank you to all the fans around the world, the Ballon D’Or of All Time is also yours,” Ronaldo wrote. The post, which quickly passed 1.6 million views, was his first public comment since the award was confirmed.

The B.O.A.T. (Best of All Time) prize was decided in an online vote on the official Ballon d’Or website, where fans chose the best individual season among 10 players who had won the Ballon d’Or at least twice.

Ronaldo’s 2008 campaign with Manchester United, which earned him his first Ballon d’Or, finished first, leaving Lionel Messi’s 2012 season in second place, while Ronaldo’s 2017 edition placed third.

A fan vote, not an official Ballon d’Or

It is worth noting that, unlike the traditional Ballon d’Or categories, which are decided by a panel of journalists, the B.O.A.T. does not count as an official award in the same way. It reflects the preference of the fans who took part rather than a formal ruling, which is why it does not change the official tally of Ronaldo’s individual honors.

That tally stands at five Ballon d’Ors: the 2008 award with United and four more in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017 during his time at Real Madrid. The English club also celebrated the result on its official website, and the Portuguese national team had congratulated its captain in a message of its own.

With the award now added to his résumé, Ronaldo turns his attention back to the pitch, where he is chasing another milestone. The 41-year-old forward sits on 981 career goals, 19 short of 1,000, and continues to lead Al Nassr’s push to defend the Saudi Pro League title, while his future with Portugal remains uncertain after his suspension.