Cristiano Ronaldo wins France Football’s historic Ballon d’Or vote amid payment row

Cristiano Ronaldo has been named the best Ballon d’Or winner in history after beating Lionel Messi in a public vote that allowed fans to cast multiple ballots for a fee.

France Football announced on Wednesday that the Portugal captain had won its “BOAT” award, recognising the greatest player among those to have lifted the Ballon d’Or. Ronaldo was selected for his 2008 triumph with Manchester United.

The Al Nassr forward finished ahead of Argentina’s Lionel Messi, whose 2012 Ballon d’Or victory with Barcelona placed him second in the poll.

The voting process has prompted controversy after Spanish newspaper Marca, citing France Football, reported that people were permitted to vote more than once by paying one euro for each ballot.

According to the figures reported, 5,009 people voted more than once. Of those, 4,665 cast between two and four votes, 300 voted between five and nine times, and 44 people submitted between 10 and 26 votes.

Marca said France Football generated a substantial amount of money from the votes cast by supporters seeking to see their preferred stars named the greatest Ballon d’Or winner in history.

The method has particularly angered Messi’s supporters, who argued that the award should have gone to the former Barcelona forward for his 2012 season.

Messi scored 91 goals that year, a record performance cited by those who believed he deserved to finish first in the vote.

Messi remains the most successful player in Ballon d’Or history, having won the award eight times. Ronaldo has claimed the honour on five occasions.