Ronaldo leads France Football fan poll for greatest Ballon d'Or winner
- France Football says Cristiano Ronaldo is topping its fan vote for the greatest Ballon d'Or winner of all time.
- The poll lists ten players who have won the award at least twice, including Lionel Messi, who has eight.
- Fans can still vote and stand a chance to win two tickets to the 2027 ceremony.
Cristiano Ronaldo is leading an official fan poll to pick the greatest Ballon d'Or winner of all time, the award's organisers France Football said on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.
The vote opened in early October and lists ten players who have each won the award at least twice. Ronaldo, who has won it five times, is ahead of the field so far, according to the organisers.
"Cristiano Ronaldo is leading," the Ballon d'Or account posted on X. The organisers also urged fans to keep voting, with two tickets to the 2027 ceremony as the prize.
Ronaldo's rivals in the poll include Lionel Messi, who holds the record with eight wins, plus Michel Platini, Kevin Keegan, Ronaldo Nazario, Marco van Basten and Johan Cruyff.
Why it matters to Nigerian fans
The Ronaldo-versus-Messi debate is one Nigerians have had for years, in viewing centres, on buses and in offices. This poll gives fans a chance to weigh in officially, and the result will be noted by France Football, which runs the award with UEFA.
For Nigerian supporters, the bigger date is Monday, October 26, when the 2026 Ballon d'Or is handed out at the London Palladium in the United Kingdom. Bayern Munich's Harry Kane, Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe are among the leading contenders.
Kane is chasing his first Ballon d'Or after a strong season, while Yamal and Mbappe are also expected to push for the honour. The winner will take over from Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele, who won the 2025 award.
This year's ceremony marks 70 years since the prize was first given to England's Stanley Matthews in 1956. French legend Thierry Henry and British broadcaster Kate Scott are set to co-host.
An international jury of journalists picks the annual winner, not the public. So the fan poll does not decide who lifts the trophy on Monday; it is a separate vote on the greatest winner in the award's history.
What happens next
Voting in the greatest-of-all-time poll remains open, and the organisers have not said when it will close. The 2026 winner will be announced at the London ceremony on October 26.
