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The Ballon d’Or organisers introduced the Ballon d’Or of All Time (B.O.A.T.) initiative to allow fans to vote for their favourite seasons among the achievements of multiple-time Ballon d’Or winners. The initiative is a public vote and does not involve a physical trophy or an official award presentation.
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The Super Ballon d’Or was presented by France Football in December 1989 to recognise the best player of the previous three decades. Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stéfano won the historic award, finishing ahead of Johan Cruyff and Michel Platini, and it has never been awarded again.
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Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly leading the inaugural BOAT voting with 62 per cent of the votes, ahead of Lionel Messi and other multiple-time Ballon d’Or winners. The final results are scheduled to be unveiled on October 28.
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Lionel Messi remains the record holder with eight Ballon d’Or titles, while Cristiano Ronaldo follows with five. Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco van Basten have each won the prestigious award three times, while several other football legends have claimed it twice.
October 23, (THEWILL) – The organisers of the prestigious Ballon d’Or awards launched the B.O.A.T. (Ballon d’Or Of All Time) award for players who have won the award twice or more.
The Ballon d’Or of All Time is a special award for multiple-time Ballon d’Or winners.
The initiative is to allow fans to revisit historic Ballon d’Or campaigns and vote for the season from those in which each legend won the award.
However, The award has sparked a debate among football fans, comparing it to the legendary Super Ballon d’Or award.
The Super Ballon d’Or is the name of a prize that was awarded only once on 24 December 1989 by the French magazine France Football for the best football player of the previous three decades.
It is even more exclusive than the prestigious Ballon d’Or.
The award has only been given once to Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stéfano. He was voted as the winner by multiple-time Ballon d’Or winners.
The winner of the award was voted by viewers and readers, a panel of France Football judges, and former Ballon d’Or winners.
The viewers and readers voted Michel Platini as the best, but the France Football jury and former Ballon d’Or winners chose Alfredo Di Stéfano.
In 1989, Di Stéfano finished ahead of Johan Cruyff and Michel Platini to win the Super Ballon d’Or award.
In 2021, Di Stéfano’s children auctioned off the award after it was displayed at the Real Madrid stadium for many years. The trophy was among the items sold to an anonymous buyer for £187,500.
In a bid to clear the misunderstanding among the fans, The Ballon d’Or organisers clarified the difference between the awards on their website with a statement.
What is the B.O.A.T.?
The B.O.A.T. is exclusively a public vote designed to celebrate the passion of our supporters.
It is neither a physical trophy nor an official award presented at our ceremony.
For this special occasion, fans around the world can vote for their all-time favourite Ballon d’Or winner.
Voting remains open on our official website (ballondor.com), and the final results chosen by the fans will be unveiled on October 28.
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What was the Super Ballon d’Or?
Unlike the B.O.A.T., the Super Ballon d’Or was an official, physical, and historic trophy awarded by France Football only once in history.
It took place in December 1989 to elect the best multiple Ballon d’Or winner of the previous three decades.
That singular trophy —determined by an expert jury, former winners, and readers— was presented to Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stéfano.
On that occasion, the ‘Saeta Rubia’ topped the voting ahead of icons of the calibre of Johan Cruyff and Michel Platini, among others.
Since then, the Super Ballon d’Or has never been awarded again, and there is currently no official date set for a second edition.
Voting opened for the BOAT Award in early October and runs until midnight on 27 October, allowing football fans to vote for the greatest winner in the history of the award.
Cristiano Ronaldo is currently leading the votes for the inaugural award that is expected to be handed out on Monday in London at the Gala ceremony.
According to the Ballon d’Or official X handle, Ronaldo is currently leading the race with a commanding 62% vote, placing him ahead of Messi and other multiple Ballon d’Or winners.
The Ballon d’Or is an annual association football award presented by French magazine France Football since 1956 to honour the player judged to have performed the best over the previous season.
Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d’Or a record eight times, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo with five.
The likes of Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco van Basten have each won the award three times, while Alfredo Di Stéfano, Franz Beckenbauer and Kevin Keegan.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Ronaldo have each won it twice. Ousmane Dembélé is the current holder of the award, having won it in the 69th edition in 2025.
