Why Lionel Messi is trending in Australia

Published 29 October 2026 at 2:16 pm · 10 sources · 500+ searches today

Lionel Messi is trending in Australia because Cristiano Ronaldo was voted the winner of the inaugural B.O.A.T. (“Ballon d’Or of All Time”) award ahead of Messi. The result was reported on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, with some coverage updated on Thursday, 29 October, reigniting the Ronaldo-versus-Messi debate.

Key facts

28 Oct 2026: Ronaldo won the inaugural B.O.A.T. award
Messi’s 2012 Barcelona season ranked second in the vote
Messi has won the Ballon d’Or 8 times; Ronaldo 5 times
Messi’s 2012 season was reported as 91 goals for club and country
Some reports said the fan ballot cost €1, about A$1.70

What happened

The award has revived the long-running question of which player has the stronger all-time case. Even though Messi has won more Ballon d’Or awards overall, the vote put Ronaldo’s 2008 season above Messi’s best-ranked campaign.

Why this matters

The vote also puts older seasons back in focus, rather than only career totals. In that framing, Ronaldo’s 2008 season won out over Messi’s 2012 peak, despite Messi’s larger overall Ballon d’Or haul.

Key numbers and rankings

Some reports described the vote as a fan poll linked to a special all-time Ballon d’Or award, and one account said each ballot cost €1, or about A$1.70 at the time. That payment detail was not reported consistently across all sources.

There is also some uncertainty around the branding and organisers: some coverage linked it to France Football readers, while other reports mentioned UEFA and France Football. Those institutional details should be treated cautiously.

What to watch next

As of 29 October 2026, the main story is the reaction to the result rather than a new achievement by Messi himself. If you are searching for Messi now, it is likely because the award has reopened debate over his place in football history.

Any further updates are likely to focus on how the vote was conducted, how fans reacted, and whether more rankings from the same poll are published. For now, the confirmed takeaway is that Ronaldo finished first and Messi second in the inaugural B.O.A.T. vote.

Frequently asked

Why is Lionel Messi trending in Australia today?

He is trending because Cristiano Ronaldo won the inaugural B.O.A.T. award ahead of Messi, and the result was reported on 28–29 October 2026. That has reignited the Messi-versus-Ronaldo debate.

Who won the B.O.A.T. award in 2026?

Cristiano Ronaldo won the inaugural B.O.A.T. (“Ballon d’Or of All Time”) award. Lionel Messi finished second in the vote.

What season did Messi lose to Ronaldo's season?

Messi’s 2012 Barcelona campaign ranked second, while Ronaldo’s 2008 Manchester United campaign ranked first. Reports said Messi’s 2012 season included 91 goals for club and country.

How many Ballon d’Or awards have Messi and Ronaldo won?

Messi has won the Ballon d’Or eight times, while Ronaldo has won it five times. That did not decide this all-time vote, which ranked seasons rather than career totals.

Sources

Researched automatically from live news and written by Simpledot's AI; facts are limited to what the sources above report as of the published time. Spot an error? Tell us.