Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or: All 5 Wins, Years, Stats and Historic Rivalry
The Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or story is one of the defining individual achievements of modern football.
Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Ballon d’Or five times.
His victories came in:
2008
2013
2014
2016
2017
France Football itself confirms those five winning years, while UEFA’s historical Ballon d’Or records also list Ronaldo as a five-time winner.
Only Lionel Messi has won the award more often.
But simply saying Ronaldo won five trophies does not explain the significance of the Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or record.
His first arrived at Manchester United when he was 23.
His next four came with Real Madrid.
Between them was one of the most intense individual rivalries football has ever experienced.
From 2008 through 2017, every Ballon d’Or was won by either Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi.
Messi won in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015.
Ronaldo won in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
For an entire decade, the award effectively became a contest between two players.
The Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or collection therefore represents more than personal trophies. It documents Ronaldo’s transformation from Manchester United winger into Real Madrid’s record goalscorer, Champions League specialist and one of football’s most decorated individual players.
For Ronaldo’s complete career, goals, trophies and records, start with The News Ink’s Cristiano Ronaldo Explained.
Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or Wins at a Glance
| Year | Club | Ronaldo’s Ballon d’Or Number | Major Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Manchester United | 1st | Premier League and Champions League winner |
| 2013 | Real Madrid | 2nd | 69 goals in 59 games for club and country |
| 2014 | Real Madrid | 3rd | La Décima, Champions League scoring records |
| 2016 | Real Madrid | 4th | Champions League and Euro 2016 winner |
| 2017 | Real Madrid | 5th | La Liga and Champions League double |
| Total | — | 5 | Second-highest total in Ballon d’Or history |
France Football lists the five Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or victories as 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
What Is the Ballon d’Or?
Before examining each Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or victory, it is important to understand the award itself.
France Football created the Ballon d’Or in 1956.
Stanley Matthews became the first winner.
Over the decades, the trophy became one of football’s most prestigious individual honours, with winners including Alfredo Di Stéfano, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, Michel Platini, Marco van Basten, Ronaldo Nazário, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho, Kaká, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
The structure of the award has changed.
Between 2010 and 2015, the Ballon d’Or was merged with FIFA’s World Player award and became known as the FIFA Ballon d’Or.
Ronaldo’s 2013 and 2014 victories occurred during this merged period.
From 2016, France Football again operated the Ballon d’Or separately from FIFA. UEFA’s historical explanation confirms that separation.
That means Ronaldo’s five victories include:
Three France Football Ballon d’Or awards:
2008, 2016, 2017
and
Two FIFA Ballon d’Or awards:
2013, 2014
They are all counted together in the historical Ballon d’Or record.
Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or 2008: The First Victory
The first Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or came after the season that transformed him from superstar into the world’s leading individual player.
Ronaldo was playing for Manchester United.
The 2007–08 campaign produced:
42 goals in all competitions
31 Premier League goals
Premier League title
UEFA Champions League title
Premier League Golden Boot
European Golden Shoe
and
Champions League top-scorer honours.
UEFA’s official 2008 Ballon d’Or report confirms that Ronaldo finished first with 446 points, comfortably ahead of Lionel Messi with 281 and Fernando Torres with 179.
Ronaldo was only 23.
Why Ronaldo Won the 2008 Ballon d’Or
The case was unusually strong.
Manchester United had won both the Premier League and Champions League.
Ronaldo had been their primary scorer.
He scored 31 league goals despite not playing as a traditional center-forward throughout the campaign.
He also scored in the Champions League final against Chelsea.
Manchester United ultimately won the final on penalties.
UEFA noted that Ronaldo’s 31 league goals earned him the European Golden Shoe and contributed to a 42-goal season.
The first Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or therefore represented several achievements at once.
It rewarded:
individual scoring,
domestic team success,
European team success,
and Ronaldo’s transformation under Sir Alex Ferguson.
For the complete story of that period, read Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United.
Ronaldo Became the Third Portuguese Ballon d’Or Winner
The 2008 award also carried national significance.
Before Ronaldo, only two Portuguese players had won the Ballon d’Or:
Eusébio in 1965
and
Luís Figo in 2000.
Ronaldo became the third.
He was also the fourth Manchester United player to receive the award after:
Denis Law,
Bobby Charlton,
and George Best.
That placed Ronaldo inside two important football traditions at once.
He was joining Portugal’s greatest individual players and Manchester United’s greatest historical names.
Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or Rivalry With Messi Begins
Lionel Messi finished second in the 2008 voting.
That detail would become much more important later.
At the time, Ronaldo was the winner and Messi was another brilliant young player emerging at Barcelona.
One year later, their positions reversed.
Messi won the 2009 Ballon d’Or.
He then won again in:
2010,
2011,
and
Ronaldo was runner-up in 2009, 2011 and 2012. UEFA also records those second-place finishes in its review of his award history.
The Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or story had entered its most difficult period.
For four consecutive years, Messi controlled the award.
Ronaldo needed to break that sequence.
Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or 2013: Ending Messi’s Four-Year Run
The second Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or arrived after a five-year gap.
It was announced in January 2014 for Ronaldo’s performances during 2013.
This victory had a very different character from 2008.
Ronaldo did not win the Champions League or La Liga during the year.
His argument was built heavily around extraordinary individual production.
UEFA recorded an astonishing:
69 goals in 59 games for Real Madrid and Portugal during 2013.
He defeated Lionel Messi and Franck Ribéry to win the FIFA Ballon d’Or.
The 69-Goal Year
Ronaldo’s scoring volume became the central case for the second Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or.
Sixty-nine goals in 59 appearances represented one of the greatest calendar-year scoring outputs of his career.
But one performance carried particular importance.
Portugal faced Sweden in the 2014 World Cup qualifying play-offs.
Ronaldo scored the only goal in the first leg.
Then, in Sweden, he scored a hat-trick as Portugal won 3–2.
Portugal qualified for the World Cup.
UEFA described the hat-trick as one of the standout performances of Ronaldo’s 2013 campaign.
This mattered because it combined individual excellence with enormous pressure.
A World Cup place was at stake.
Ronaldo delivered.
Why the 2013 Ballon d’Or Was Different
The 2013 award remains one of the most debated Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or victories because Bayern Munich’s Franck Ribéry had completed a historic treble.
Ribéry had won:
Bundesliga,
German Cup,
Champions League.
Ronaldo did not have the same team trophy collection that year.
But individual voting favored Ronaldo’s extraordinary goals and Portugal performances.
He ended Messi’s four-year winning streak and claimed his second Ballon d’Or.
The emotional reaction during the ceremony also showed what the victory meant after several years of finishing behind Messi.
Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or 2014: La Décima Changes Everything
The third Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or followed almost immediately.
This time, Ronaldo combined spectacular individual statistics with the team trophy Real Madrid had spent more than a decade chasing.
La Décima.
Real Madrid won its tenth European Cup in 2014.
Ronaldo played a central role.
He scored a record 17 Champions League goals during the 2013–14 campaign, a single-season mark that still stands.
UEFA’s Ballon d’Or report also records Ronaldo producing 62 goals in 62 appearances for club and country during 2014.
He beat Lionel Messi and Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to retain the FIFA Ballon d’Or.
Ronaldo’s Historic Champions League Season
The 2013–14 Champions League campaign was one of the strongest foundations for any Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or victory.
Ronaldo scored throughout the tournament.
Real Madrid eventually faced Atlético Madrid in the final.
Sergio Ramos forced extra time with his dramatic stoppage-time equalizer.
Real Madrid then took control.
Ronaldo converted a late penalty as Madrid won 4–1.
The goal completed his record 17-goal Champions League season.
For a detailed breakdown of those European achievements, read Cristiano Ronaldo Champions League Records.
Ronaldo Wins Consecutive Ballon d’Or Awards
The 2014 victory gave Ronaldo consecutive Ballon d’Or trophies for the first time.
His total now stood at:
three.
At that moment, only a small group of players had reached three or more.
UEFA noted that Ronaldo joined an elite historical group including Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, Marco van Basten and Lionel Messi.
The Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or career had now developed beyond one spectacular Manchester United season.
He had proven he could win the award in different leagues, different clubs and different tactical roles.
Messi Wins Again in 2015
Lionel Messi interrupted Ronaldo’s run in 2015.
Barcelona won the treble under Luis Enrique.
Messi reclaimed the Ballon d’Or.
Ronaldo finished second.
UEFA’s later review lists 2015 among the years Ronaldo finished runner-up behind Messi.
The rivalry now stood at:
Messi 5
Ronaldo 3.
Then came 2016.
Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or 2016: Club and Country Success
The fourth Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or may have had the strongest trophy-based argument of his five wins.
Ronaldo won:
UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid
and
UEFA Euro 2016 with Portugal.
Real Madrid defeated Atlético Madrid on penalties in the Champions League final.
Portugal then defeated France 1–0 after extra time in the Euro 2016 final.
Ronaldo was forced off injured during the international final, but he had played an important role throughout Portugal’s tournament.
UEFA’s official award report shows Ronaldo collected 745 voting points, compared with Lionel Messi’s 316 and Antoine Griezmann’s 198.
That was an overwhelming victory.
Why 2016 Was So Important to Ronaldo’s Legacy
Before 2016, one criticism remained persistent.
Cristiano Ronaldo had never won a major senior international tournament with Portugal.
Euro 2016 changed that.
Portugal had lost the Euro 2004 final when Ronaldo was a teenager.
Twelve years later, he captained the country to its first major senior international trophy.
At club level, Ronaldo also scored 16 Champions League goals as Real Madrid won La Undécima.
UEFA reported 38 Real Madrid goals and 13 Portugal goals during the 2016 calendar year by the time the award was announced.
The fourth Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or therefore combined something his 2013 victory had lacked:
major trophies at both club and international level.
Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or 2017: The Fifth Victory
The fifth Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or completed the collection.
Ronaldo won the award on December 7, 2017.
The result was:
Cristiano Ronaldo: 946 points
Lionel Messi: 670
Neymar: 361.
The victory gave Ronaldo five Ballon d’Or awards.
At that moment, he moved level with Messi as the joint record holder.
It was the closest Ronaldo ever came to completely matching Messi’s individual award record.
Why Ronaldo Won the 2017 Ballon d’Or
Real Madrid’s 2016–17 campaign was exceptional.
The club won:
La Liga
and
UEFA Champions League.
Ronaldo became increasingly decisive during the Champions League knockout rounds.
He scored five goals across the quarter-final tie against Bayern Munich.
He scored a hat-trick against Atlético Madrid in the semi-final first leg.
Then he scored twice against Juventus in the Champions League final.
Real Madrid won 4–1 in Cardiff.
Ronaldo finished the Champions League season with 12 goals.
UEFA’s 2017 Ballon d’Or report recorded 48 goals in 54 appearances across club and international football during the relevant calendar-year summary.
Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or and the 2017 Champions League Final
The Cardiff final became one of the central performances behind the fifth Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or.
Juventus entered the final with one of Europe’s strongest defenses.
Ronaldo scored twice.
The second goal gave Real Madrid a decisive two-goal advantage.
Madrid became the first club to successfully defend the Champions League title in the competition’s modern format.
Ronaldo had again produced his biggest performances during the tournament’s most important phase.
That relationship between Ronaldo and European knockout football is one of the main reasons his Ballon d’Or success became so strongly connected with the Champions League.
Five Ballon d’Or Wins by Club
The Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or collection can be divided between only two clubs.
| Club | Ballon d’Or Wins | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester United | 1 | 2008 |
| Real Madrid | 4 | 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 |
| Juventus | 0 | — |
| Al Nassr | 0 | — |
| Total | 5 | — |
The table makes one point especially clear.
Real Madrid was the central club in Ronaldo’s Ballon d’Or history.
Four of his five awards came during his nine seasons in Spain.
For the full Madrid period, read Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid.
Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or Runner-Up Finishes
Winning five times tells only part of the story.
Ronaldo also finished second repeatedly.
UEFA’s 2017 review identifies runner-up finishes behind Messi in:
2009
2011
2012
2015.
He had also finished second to Kaká in the 2007 Ballon d’Or, receiving 277 points compared with Kaká’s 444. Lionel Messi finished third.
Then, in 2018, Ronaldo finished second behind former Real Madrid teammate Luka Modrić.
This means Ronaldo spent a remarkable number of years either winning the Ballon d’Or or finishing extremely close to it.
That consistency is almost as important as the five victories themselves.
The Ten-Year Ronaldo-Messi Ballon d’Or Era
From 2008 through 2017:
2008 – Ronaldo
2009 – Messi
2010 – Messi
2011 – Messi
2012 – Messi
2013 – Ronaldo
2014 – Ronaldo
2015 – Messi
2016 – Ronaldo
2017 – Ronaldo
No other player won during that decade.
Kaká was the last winner before the sequence.
Luka Modrić became the first winner after it in 2018.
That makes the Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or story inseparable from Lionel Messi.
They did not simply win many awards.
They prevented nearly an entire generation of elite players from winning them.
For a detailed neutral comparison, read Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi.
Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or vs Lionel Messi
As of 2026, the historical comparison is:
| Player | Ballon d’Or Wins |
|---|---|
| Lionel Messi | 8 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 5 |
| Michel Platini | 3 |
| Johan Cruyff | 3 |
| Marco van Basten | 3 |
UEFA’s historical winners list confirms Messi’s later victories in 2019, 2021 and 2023 after the period when Ronaldo had drawn level at five.
Therefore:
Messi holds the overall Ballon d’Or record.
Ronaldo is second with five.
That should be stated clearly.
There is no need to distort the comparison to strengthen Ronaldo’s achievement.
Five Ballon d’Or victories already place him far above almost every player in football history.
When Ronaldo and Messi Were Level at Five
The most historically interesting point in the rivalry came in December 2017.
Ronaldo’s fifth Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or put the score at:
5–5.
UEFA explicitly described Ronaldo as equalling Messi’s all-time record at that moment.
The balance did not last.
Messi won again in:
2019,
2021,
and
His total moved to eight.
But the fact that Ronaldo reached 5–5 after Messi had once led 4–1 illustrates how dramatically the rivalry shifted between 2013 and 2017.
Why Ronaldo Stopped Winning After 2017
There was no single reason.
Football changed.
Ronaldo changed.
His club environment changed.
And new award candidates emerged.
In 2018, Luka Modrić won after helping Real Madrid capture another Champions League and leading Croatia to the World Cup final.
Ronaldo finished second.
By then, Ronaldo had also left Real Madrid for Juventus.
His Juventus seasons remained individually productive, but the club never won the Champions League during his time there.
The award increasingly went to other players.
That does not mean Ronaldo suddenly stopped performing at an elite level.
It means the combination that had powered his previous Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or wins, extraordinary statistics plus the biggest team trophies, became harder to reproduce.
Did Ronaldo Win a Ballon d’Or at Juventus?
No.
Cristiano Ronaldo did not win the Ballon d’Or while playing for Juventus.
He joined the Italian club in 2018 after winning his fifth award the previous year with Real Madrid.
Ronaldo continued producing strong numbers in Italy.
He scored 101 goals in 134 Juventus appearances according to the club’s current retrospective.
He also won domestic trophies and became Serie A top scorer.
But Juventus did not win the Champions League.
For the complete Italian chapter, read Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus.
Did Ronaldo Win a Ballon d’Or at Al Nassr?
No.
The five Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or victories were already complete before his move to Saudi Arabia.
Ronaldo remains an active player with Al Nassr in 2026, but his Ballon d’Or total remains five.
His Saudi period has instead been defined by goals, Saudi Pro League records, longevity and team success.
For that chapter, read Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr.
Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or Wins and the Champions League
The connection between Ronaldo’s Ballon d’Or victories and the Champions League is extremely strong.
2008
Manchester United won the Champions League.
Ronaldo was the competition’s leading scorer.
2013
Ronaldo produced huge Champions League scoring numbers, although Real Madrid did not win the tournament that year.
2014
Real Madrid won La Décima.
Ronaldo scored a record 17 Champions League goals.
2016
Real Madrid won the Champions League again.
Ronaldo scored 16 times.
2017
Real Madrid retained the title.
Ronaldo dominated the knockout rounds and scored twice in the final.
Four of Ronaldo’s five award-winning cycles therefore coincided with especially significant Champions League achievements.
That connection helps explain why Ronaldo’s individual legacy and Champions League legacy are so closely linked.
Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or Wins and International Football
International football played a different role.
Ronaldo did not need an international trophy to win in 2008, 2013 or 2014.
But Portugal became crucial to the 2016 award.
Euro 2016 gave Ronaldo the international championship that had been missing.
Portugal’s World Cup qualification also strengthened his 2013 case after his hat-trick against Sweden.
The Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or record was therefore built primarily through club football, but several major Portugal performances strengthened it substantially.
The Difference Between Ballon d’Or and Other Ronaldo Awards
One common SEO mistake is mixing every individual prize together.
The Ballon d’Or is not the same as:
FIFA World Player of the Year
The Best FIFA Men’s Player
UEFA Men’s Player of the Year
European Golden Shoe
Pichichi Trophy
Premier League Golden Boot
or
Serie A Capocannoniere.
Ronaldo has won many of those awards.
But only five belong in the Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or total.
For example, Ronaldo also won FIFA World Player of the Year in 2008.
He won The Best FIFA Men’s Player in 2016 and 2017.
Those are separate awards and should not be added to his Ballon d’Or count.
Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or Timeline
| Year | Result | Key Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Runner-up | Kaká wins |
| 2008 | Winner | Manchester United European and English champion |
| 2009 | Runner-up | Messi wins |
| 2011 | Runner-up | Messi wins |
| 2012 | Runner-up | Messi wins |
| 2013 | Winner | 69 goals in 59 games |
| 2014 | Winner | La Décima and record Champions League season |
| 2015 | Runner-up | Messi wins |
| 2016 | Winner | Champions League and Euro 2016 |
| 2017 | Winner | La Liga and Champions League |
| 2018 | Runner-up | Modrić wins |
| Total Wins | 5 | — |
The timeline shows that the Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or story was not simply five isolated victories.
For more than a decade, Ronaldo was repeatedly at or near the top of world football’s most prestigious individual award.
Which Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or Season Was the Best?
There is no objective answer.
Each award represented something different.
2008: Best transformation story
Ronaldo became the world’s best player while winning the Premier League and Champions League with Manchester United.
2013: Best pure individual scoring case
Sixty-nine goals in 59 appearances provided extraordinary numerical evidence.
2014: Best Champions League scoring campaign
The record 17-goal European season and La Décima made this one of his strongest club achievements.
2016: Best club-and-country trophy year
Champions League plus Euro 2016.
2017: Best combination of domestic and European dominance
La Liga plus Champions League, including decisive knockout performances.
If team trophies are given the greatest weight, 2016 or 2017 probably provides the strongest Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or case.
If individual scoring is prioritized, 2013 or 2014 becomes more compelling.
Why Five Ballon d’Or Awards Matter
Five awards represent sustained excellence.
A player can have one extraordinary season.
Winning five Ballon d’Or trophies requires repeatedly returning to the top after opponents, tactical systems, teammates and physical circumstances change.
Ronaldo’s first award came as a Manchester United winger-forward.
His fifth came as a much more specialized Real Madrid goalscorer.
That tactical evolution is central to the Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or record.
The player changed.
The level remained extraordinary.
Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or and His Wider Record Book
The five Ballon d’Or awards are only one part of Ronaldo’s historical statistics.
He also owns or has established major records in:
international goals,
international appearances,
Champions League goals,
Champions League appearances,
Champions League knockout goals,
European Championship scoring,
and World Cup longevity.
For the complete collection, read Cristiano Ronaldo Records Explained.
The Ballon d’Or page should remain focused specifically on individual award history rather than repeating every record Ronaldo owns.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or
How many Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or awards are there?
Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Ballon d’Or five times. France Football confirms his victories in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
What years did Cristiano Ronaldo win the Ballon d’Or?
The five Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or winning years are 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
Which club was Ronaldo playing for when he won his first Ballon d’Or?
Ronaldo won his first Ballon d’Or in 2008 while playing for Manchester United. He had helped United win the Premier League and Champions League.
How many Ballon d’Or awards did Ronaldo win at Real Madrid?
Ronaldo won four while representing Real Madrid: 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
Did Cristiano Ronaldo win consecutive Ballon d’Or awards?
Yes. Ronaldo won consecutive awards in 2013 and 2014, then again in 2016 and 2017.
Who did Ronaldo beat for the 2013 Ballon d’Or?
Cristiano Ronaldo defeated Lionel Messi and Franck Ribéry for the 2013 FIFA Ballon d’Or. UEFA reported that Ronaldo had scored 69 goals in 59 games during the year.
Why did Cristiano Ronaldo win the 2016 Ballon d’Or?
Ronaldo helped Real Madrid win the Champions League and captained Portugal to Euro 2016. He received 745 points, ahead of Messi and Antoine Griezmann.
Who did Ronaldo beat in the 2017 Ballon d’Or?
Ronaldo finished first with 946 points, ahead of Lionel Messi on 670 and Neymar on 361.
Who has more Ballon d’Or awards, Ronaldo or Messi?
Lionel Messi has eight Ballon d’Or awards, while Cristiano Ronaldo has five. Messi therefore holds the current all-time record.
Did Cristiano Ronaldo win the Ballon d’Or at Juventus?
No. Ronaldo’s five Ballon d’Or awards came with Manchester United and Real Madrid.
Is Cristiano Ronaldo second all-time for Ballon d’Or victories?
Yes. Ronaldo’s five victories place him behind Messi’s eight and ahead of three-time winners such as Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten.
Conclusion: Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or History Defined a Football Generation
The Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or collection tells the story of almost an entire era of football.
It began in Manchester.
Ronaldo arrived at Manchester United in 2003 as an 18-year-old winger from Sporting CP.
Five years later, he had become a Premier League champion, Champions League champion, European Golden Shoe winner and Ballon d’Or winner.
The first Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or came in 2008.
He received 446 points.
Lionel Messi finished second.
Few people could have known how important that order would become.
One year later, Messi won.
Then he won again.
And again.
And again.
By the end of 2012, Messi had four Ballon d’Or awards while Ronaldo remained on one.
The rivalry appeared heavily tilted.
Ronaldo changed it.
In 2013, he scored 69 goals in 59 games for club and country and produced the decisive World Cup qualifying hat-trick against Sweden.
He won his second Ballon d’Or.
Then came Real Madrid’s La Décima.
Ronaldo scored a record 17 Champions League goals during the 2013–14 campaign.
He won his third Ballon d’Or.
Messi responded in 2015.
Ronaldo responded again.
The fourth Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or came in 2016 after the most important trophy combination of his career.
Champions League with Real Madrid.
Euro 2016 with Portugal.
The international victory mattered particularly because Portugal had never previously won a major senior championship.
Ronaldo collected 745 voting points, more than twice Messi’s total.
Then came 2017.
Real Madrid won La Liga.
Real Madrid won the Champions League again.
Ronaldo destroyed Bayern Munich across the quarter-final tie, scored a semi-final hat-trick against Atlético Madrid and scored twice against Juventus in the final.
The fifth Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or followed.
His total was now:
five.
Messi also had five.
For the first and only time, the two players stood level at the top of the historical rankings.
Messi later moved ahead.
He eventually reached eight.
That means Cristiano Ronaldo does not hold the Ballon d’Or record today.
He is second.
That fact should be stated clearly rather than avoided.
But finishing second to the most decorated Ballon d’Or winner ever does little to reduce Ronaldo’s own achievement.
Behind Messi’s eight comes Ronaldo’s five.
Then come the three-time winners.
That gap demonstrates how unusual the Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or career actually was.
The five victories also span two different versions of Ronaldo.
The 2008 winner was still capable of operating as an explosive winger.
He dribbled.
He carried the ball.
He attacked defenders from wide areas.
The 2017 winner was increasingly a specialist scorer whose penalty-box movement and Champions League finishing had become central to his game.
Nine years separated the first and fifth awards.
Ronaldo had changed dramatically.
He remained near the top.
There is another way to understand the achievement.
Between 2007 and 2018, Ronaldo either won or finished second in the Ballon d’Or in the majority of editions in which he was at his peak.
He finished behind Kaká in 2007.
He won in 2008.
He repeatedly challenged Messi.
He won four times at Real Madrid.
And even after his final victory, Ronaldo finished second to Luka Modrić in 2018.
That consistency made him much more than a five-season phenomenon.
The Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or record reflects more than peak talent.
It reflects reinvention, scoring consistency, Champions League dominance, international performance and extraordinary longevity at the highest level.
The award eventually moved on.
Modrić won in 2018.
Messi won again.
Other generations followed.
By 2025, UEFA’s complete historical list included later winners such as Karim Benzema, Rodri and Ousmane Dembélé.
Ronaldo’s total remained five.
It no longer needed to grow to secure its historical importance.
The list already reads:
2008 – Manchester United
2013 – Real Madrid
2014 – Real Madrid
2016 – Real Madrid
2017 – Real Madrid
Five Ballon d’Or awards.
Two clubs.
Nine years between the first and last.
One of the greatest individual award records football has produced.
For Ronaldo’s complete story, continue with Cristiano Ronaldo Explained.
For his chronological career, read Cristiano Ronaldo Career Explained.
For the first Ballon d’Or chapter, see Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United.
For the four Real Madrid victories, continue with Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid.
For the European performances behind several awards, read Cristiano Ronaldo Champions League Records.
For his wider record collection, see Cristiano Ronaldo Records Explained.
For the rivalry that defined the award for a decade, read Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi.
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