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'Football belongs to the fans,' says Ronaldo after winning Ballon d'Or of All Time poll

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 29 (IANS) Portuguese football great Cristiano Ronaldo thanked fans around the world after his maiden Ballon dOr triumph in 2008 was voted the greatest victory in the awards history in the B.O.A.T. (Best of All Time) poll. Football belongs to the fans! Thank you to all the fans around the world; the Ballon DOr of All Time is also yours, Ronaldo wrote on social media on Thursday. The poll, conducted by the Ballon dOr organisers, invited football fans to vote for the greatest Ballon dOr-winning campaign of all time. Ronaldos 2008 triumph emerged as the winner, while Argentine superstar Lionel Messis 2012 victory finished second. Ronaldos maiden Ballon dOr came after an outstanding 2007-08 season with Manchester United, in which he scored 42 goals in 49 appearances across all competitions. The Portuguese forward helped the English club win both the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. In the Premier League, Ronaldo scored 31 goals to finish as the competitions leading scorer and help Manchester United secure their 17th league title. He also scored eight goals in the Champions League, finishing as the tournaments top scorer and helping United lift the trophy after defeating Chelsea in the final. The final ended 1-1 after extra time, with Ronaldo scoring Uniteds goal before Sir Alex Fergusons side prevailed in the penalty shootout. Ronaldo won the Ballon dOr in 2008 after finishing second behind Brazilian midfielder Kak the previous year. He became the third Portuguese player to receive the honour, following Eusebio in 1965 and Luis Figo in 2000. The award marked a defining moment in Ronaldos rise from an 18-year-old arrival at Manchester United in 2003 to one of the most decorated players in football history. The 2008 triumph also preceded an era of individual dominance shared by Ronaldo and Messi. Ronaldo has won the Ballon dOr five times in his career, while Messi holds the record with eight victories.