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Samuel - September 6, 2024
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are undoubtedly two of the world’s best footballers with their records speaking volumes over the years.
These two have won numerous trophies for their respective clubs over time as well as major individual awards such as the Ballon d’Or, the most coveted individual award in football.
At the height of their careers, the two legends transformed the prestigious award competition into a two-way race, winning a total of thirteen times since 2008.
Lionel Messi has won the award a record eight times and is the current holder, having beaten Manchester City striker Erling Haaland to the award last year in Paris.
Cristiano Ronaldo has won the award five times in his career, most recently in 2017 following a successful year at Real Madrid.
However, the two greats were not named to a list of thirty nominees for the 2024 Ballon d’Or nominees. It will be the first time neither player has made the list since 2003, marking the end of a 20-year era.
Therefore, we shall examine their respective careers over the years as well as their domination in the awards history.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo left incredible legacies in the award’s history including a twenty-year reign that was unparalleled. These legacies include a series of magnificent recollections which we will explore.
The eight times winner was initially nominated for the award in 2006 during his breakout year and finished 20th overall, marking the start of a historic path to become one of the most successful players in the world.
Moving on, after a string of consistent seasons and two more nominations, he won his first Ballon d’Or in 2009, thanks to a sensation season at Barcelona and an unforgettable night in Rome after scoring in the Champions League final against Manchester United.
Lionel Messi maintained his remarkable form across all competitions, earning him another Ballon d’Or award in 2010 following an excellent goal scoring season in Barcelona.
Furthermore, a consistently formidable season over the years earned him another back-to-back Ballon d’Or awards in 2011 and 2012, making him the first player to win the award four times is a row.
After a two-year hiatus that saw Cristiano Ronaldo win the award consecutively, Messi made a remarkable comeback and won it in 2015, 2019 and 2021.
Meanwhile, following a two years break, Messi was voted the winner of the prestigious award after an exceptional season in which he led Argentina to a World cup victory in Qatar 2022, making him a record eight-time winner.
The Portugal great was first nominated for the award in 2004, during his debut season with Manchester United, finishing 12th Overall.
Following a string of outstanding seasons in which he demonstrated his prowess, he won it in 2008 at Manchester United, beating Lionel Messi and Liverpool’s Fernando Torres.
Going forward, Cristiano Ronaldo won the award in 2013 following a remarkable season with a strong competition from Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery, and he went on to win it again in 2014.
His spectacular run continues with another triumph in 2016 after a fantastic stint with club and national team, guiding an underrated Portugal squad to Euro glory and scoring the decisive penalty in the Champions League final against Atletico Madrid at San Siro.
Cristiano Ronaldo won the award for the fifth time in 2017 after another incredible year with Real Madrid, leading them to the La Liga title and their second consecutive Champions League victory in Wales.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo careers have been among the best in history, as evidenced by their impressive records. They have a record breaking thirteen joint Ballon d’Or award over a 15-year period.
Although, emerging talents have sparked over the years with Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe vying for their first Ballon d’Or award in this year’s edition. However, we may never see a dominance in football like that of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
