Cristiano Ronaldo beats Lionel Messi to top the Ballon d’Or Of All Time fan vote, with his 2008 Manchester United season taking first place. Cristiano Ronaldo has beaten Lionel Messi to claim the top spot in the first-ever Ballon d’Or of All Time (B.O.A.T.) fan vote. Ronaldo’s 2008 season with Manchester United finished first, ahead of Messi’s record-breaking 2012 campaign with Barcelona.