With five Ballon d’Or victories between 2008 and 2017, Ronaldo is the second-most successful player in Ballon d’Or history. Messi owns the record with eight victories, the most recent of which came in 2023.
Ronaldo won four Ballon d’Or prizes while he was at Real Madrid, but his first one came in 2008, following a spectacular season at Manchester United.
Ronaldo made his debut at Old Trafford in 2008, winning his first Ballon d’Or after coming in second to Kaka in 2007.
But after Messi controlled the Ballon d’Or from 2009 to 2012, he had to wait five years for his next trophy, while Ronaldo won four in a row in Madrid from 2013 to 2017.
Below is the list of years Cristiano Ronaldo’s Ballon d’Or was achieved.
| Year | Club | Trophies won | Age |
| 2008 | Manchester United | 2007/08 Premier League, 2007/08 Champions League | 23 |
| 2013 | Real Madrid | Nill | 28 |
| 2014 | Real Madrid | 2013/14 Copa del Rey, 2013/14 Champions League, 2014 UEFA Super Cup, 2014 FIFA Club World Cup | 29 |
| 2016 | Real Madrid | 2015/16 Champions League, 2016 FIFA Club World Cup | 31 |
| 2017 | Real Madrid | 2016/17 La Liga, 2017 Supercopa de Espana, 2016/17 Champions League, 2017 UEFA Super Cup, 2017 FIFA Club World Cup | 32 |
The table above shows the list of yeas Christiano Ronaldo achieved Ballon d’Or, his age when he achieved Ballon d’Or and the league that he won in each of the years.
