On December 2, 2008, Cristiano Ronaldo began an era that would last a decade. The Ballon d’Or was reserved for only two people, him and Lionel Messi. Here, the Portuguese himself wins it, after having lifted the Champions League but missed the penalty in the final which could have cost him the laurel, earning 446 points, far ahead of the second in the standings, Lionel Messi himself – who is 21 years old against CR7’s 23 – who will then fight throughout his career both on the playing fields and in trophies.
The 2008 edition is a special one. Because Spain won the European Championship, that’s why Fernando Torres will finish third. The Champions League was won by Manchester United, but Ronaldo also won the Premier League, the Golden Shoe and two top scorer titles.
These were the words of Cristiano Ronaldo on December 2, 2008. “Winning the Ballon d’Or is a dream come true. It is one of the best days of my life. As a child I dreamed of being able to experience a moment like this and today it is reality. It is a great emotion that fills my heart , I want to say thank you to everyone who voted for me. I wasn’t worried because I was aware of what I had done during the season. But anything can happen. I also want to thank my teammates who allowed me to be the best. they are the ones who passed the balls to me to score so many goals. Winning after two greats like Eusebio and Figo at just 23 is something magnificent, also because I started my professional career at just 17.”