Lionel Messi won a record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or during the 2023 awards ceremony in Paris on October 30.
His sensational Qatar World Cup win with Argentina was enough for the Inter Miami star to finish above Manchester City's striker sensation Erling Haaland in the vote.
Messi also won the Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain before he left in the summer that year for David Beckham's MLS club.
Cristiano Ronaldo received 19 consecutive Ballon d'Or nominations and found his way onto the shortlist every single year from the age of 19 through to 37. However, his total number of wins is now three behind that of his long-time rival.
The one thing the Portuguese star still has over Messi is the fact that he has won the Puskas Award, a trophy given to the male or female player judged to have scored the most aesthetically significant, or "most beautiful", goal of the calendar year.
The Sporting News looks at where Ronaldo finished in the 2023 Ballon d'Or vote.
MORE: How the final Ballon d'Or vote for 2023 played out
Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d'Or finishes
Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Al Nassr to play in the Saudi Pro League just weeks after his Portugal side were knocked out of the Qatar World Cup, having started the 2022/23 season at Manchester United before a public falling-out with manager Erik ten Hag.
Ronaldo led the Saudi team to their first Arab Club Champions Cup thanks to a brace in the final against rivals Al Hilal. However, they did not count sufficiently to get him in the running to win the 2023 award. In fact, he was missed off the 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist for the first time since 2003.
MORE: Messi vs. Ronaldo: Has the Ballon d'Or settled the GOAT debate forever?
Cristiano Ronaldo all-time Ballon d'Or finishes
| Year | Finish |
| 2004 | 12th |
| 2005 | 20th |
| 2006 | 14th |
| 2007 | 2nd |
| 2008 | 1st |
| 2009 | 2nd |
| 2010 | 6th |
| 2011 | 2nd |
| 2012 | 2nd |
| 2013 | 1st |
| 2014 | 1st |
| 2015 | 2nd |
| 2016 | 1st |
| 2017 | 1st |
| 2018 | 2nd |
| 2019 | 3rd |
| 2020 | * |
| 2021 | 6th |
| 2022 | 20th |
| 2023 | N/A** |
*In 2020, the Ballon d'Or was was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
**Cristiano Ronaldo did not feature on the 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist in 2023.
Who has won the most Ballon d'Or awards?
| Rank | Player | Ballon d'Or wins |
Years won |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Lionel Messi | 8 | 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023 |
| 2. | Cristiano Ronaldo | 5 | 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 |
| 3. | Michel Platini | 3 | 1983, 1984, 1985 |
| Johan Cruyff | 3 | 1971, 1973, 1974 | |
| Marco van Basten | 3 | 1988, 1989, 1992 | |
| 6. | Franz Beckenbauer | 2 | 1972, 1976 |
| Ronaldo | 2 | 1997, 2002 | |
| Alfredo Di Stefano | 2 | 1957, 1959 | |
| Kevin Keegan | 2 | 1978, 1979 | |
| Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | 2 | 1980, 1981 |