Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and eight other legendary winners have been nominated for the Ballon d’Or Of All Time award as football prepares to celebrate the prize’s 70th anniversary.

The nominees for the Ballon d’Or Of All Time, known as the B.O.A.T. award, have been officially announced, with Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and some of football’s greatest-ever names included in the historic shortlist.

The special award has been introduced as part of the celebrations surrounding the Ballon d’Or’s 70th anniversary. Since the prestigious individual prize was first presented in 1956, generations of footballers have competed for the honour, creating a long history filled with iconic players and unforgettable performances.

For the B.O.A.T. award, the focus is not simply on choosing the greatest player. Supporters are being asked to decide which *Ballon d’Or-winning season* deserves to be regarded as the greatest in the history of the award.

Ten legendary players have been selected, with each of their eligible Ballon d’Or victories included in the voting process.

The shortlist features Alfredo Di Stéfano, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Marco van Basten, Johan Cruyff, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Michel Platini, Ronaldo Nazário, Kevin Keegan and Franz Beckenbauer.

Messi and Ronaldo headline the historic list

It comes as little surprise that Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are among the names involved.

Messi enters the competition as the most decorated Ballon d’Or winner in history, having collected the award eight times. His victories came in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023.

The Argentine enjoyed one of the most remarkable individual periods football has ever witnessed, particularly during his four consecutive victories between 2009 and 2012. His 2023 triumph also carried enormous significance after he helped Argentina win the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Cristiano Ronaldo follows Messi with five Ballon d’Or victories. The Portuguese superstar won his first in 2008 before adding further awards in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.

Together, Messi and Ronaldo dominated the award for a decade. From 2008 through 2017, every Ballon d’Or went to one of the two superstars, highlighting just how extraordinary their rivalry was.

Their inclusion gives fans another opportunity to debate one of football’s biggest questions: which player produced the greatest Ballon d’Or-winning campaign?

Three-time winners also included

The shortlist also contains three players who each claimed the Ballon d’Or three times.

Johan Cruyff won the award in 1971, 1973 and 1974. The Dutch icon was one of the central figures of Total Football and became synonymous with the revolutionary style that transformed the game.

Michel Platini also collected three Ballon d’Or awards, winning in 1983, 1984 and 1985. The French midfielder became the first player to win the prize three years in a row, establishing himself as one of the defining stars of European football during the 1980s.

Marco van Basten completed the group of three-time winners. The Dutch striker was crowned in 1988, 1989 and 1992, despite a career that was eventually cut short by persistent ankle problems.

Their presence means the competition is not simply a modern-day battle between Messi and Ronaldo. It also brings together some of the outstanding individual seasons from previous generations.

Five two-time winners complete the field

The remaining five nominees each won the Ballon d’Or twice.

Alfredo Di Stéfano won in 1957 and 1959 while leading Real Madrid during one of the most dominant periods in European club football. He also remains the only player to have received the original Super Ballon d’Or, which was presented by France Football in 1989.

Franz Beckenbauer claimed the award in 1972 and 1976. The German defender revolutionised the role of the sweeper and became one of the most influential players of his generation.

Kevin Keegan won back-to-back Ballon d’Or awards in 1978 and 1979. The Englishman enjoyed enormous success during his time with Hamburg and became one of the most recognisable British stars in European football.

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge won in 1980 and 1981 after establishing himself as one of Bayern Munich and Germany’s leading attacking players.

Ronaldo Nazário completes the list. The Brazilian striker won his first Ballon d’Or in 1997 and claimed his second in 2002 following his outstanding World Cup campaign with Brazil.

The selection criteria means several legendary names are absent. Players who won the Ballon d’Or only once do not qualify for the B.O.A.T. shortlist, while football icons such as Pelé and Diego Maradona were not eligible because the award was historically restricted to European players before its rules were expanded in 1995.

Fans decide the winner

The B.O.A.T. award introduces a different way of looking at Ballon d’Or history.

Rather than simply asking fans to select their favourite player, the voting process puts individual winning years against one another. Messi therefore has eight different campaigns represented, while Ronaldo has five.

Cruyff, Platini and Van Basten each have three winning seasons in contention, while the other five legends have two apiece.

That format could make the final result particularly interesting because supporters are being asked to compare performances from completely different eras of football.

A Messi campaign from the modern era could ultimately be measured against a Cruyff or Di Stéfano season from decades earlier, while Ronaldo Nazário’s 2002 triumph will compete with some of the most celebrated individual campaigns in the award’s history.

The voting is scheduled to close on October 27 at 23:59 Paris time, with the result expected to be announced on October 28. The main 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony is scheduled to take place at the London Palladium on October 26.

The award also gives younger generations a chance to revisit the achievements of players they may only know through highlights, statistics and historical records. Comparing these legendary campaigns across different eras should make the final result even more fascinating for football fans around the world.

With ten legends from different generations now competing for the honour, the B.O.A.T. award promises to reignite one of football’s favourite debates.

Messi has the record number of Ballon d’Or victories. Ronaldo has his own extraordinary legacy. Cruyff, Platini, Van Basten, Di Stéfano, Beckenbauer, Keegan, Rummenigge and Ronaldo Nazário each represent different eras in which they stood above their contemporaries.

Now, fans have the opportunity to decide which of those legendary Ballon d’Or-winning campaigns deserves to be remembered as the greatest of them all.