Ronaldo's 2008 season voted greatest Ballon d'Or campaign ever in 70th anniversary poll

Cristiano Ronaldo's 2007-08 Manchester United season has been crowned the greatest Ballon d'Or-winning campaign in the award's 70-year history via a global public poll. Ronaldo's debut Ballon d'Or year saw him net 42 goals across all competitions—31 in the Premier League and seven in the Champions League—while firing United to a league and European double, including scoring in the Moscow final against Chelsea.

The anniversary vote placed Lionel Messi's 91-goal 2012 calendar year second, Ronaldo's 2017 Real Madrid treble season third, Messi's 2023 World Cup-winning campaign fourth, and Ronaldo's 2016 Euros-and-Champions League double fifth. Ronaldo occupies three of the top five spots; Messi takes the other two.

For Nigerian fans who grew up debating Messi vs Ronaldo in viewing centres and WhatsApp groups, this fan-driven result carries weight—it reflects how the world remembers peak dominance. Ronaldo's 2008 season combined individual brilliance with collective triumph at a time when the Premier League was arguably the planet's toughest league.

Does this poll settle the GOAT conversation for you, or does Messi's 2012 statistical anomaly (91 goals in a calendar year) still stand alone?

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/10/29/cristiano-ronaldo-wins-ballon-dor-of-all-time-top-5/