The 2008 Ballon d'Or, given to the best football player in the world as judged by an international panel of sports journalists,[1] was awarded on 2 December 2008.

[2] Cristiano Ronaldo won the award, being his first of five.

His win also began a 10-year dominance of the award between him and Lionel Messi — which eventually led to an intense rivalry between the two.

Both players had won five Ballon d'Or awards before the dominance was ended in 2018 by Luka Modrić.