Barcelona and Argentina forward He dominated the Ballon d'Or voting , polling 473 votes compared to second-placed Ronaldo 's 233 , and 27 more than the Real Madrid and Portugal winger received when he won it in 2008 for his exploits while with Manchester United . Lionel Messi crowned the 2009 Ballon d'Or winner . He won 473 votes -- 240 more than second-placed Cristiano Ronaldo , who won last year . The other three finalists were Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, Barcelona's Xavi, and Argentina's Carlos Tevez. It is organized by France Football magazine to recognize the best player in Europe .
Barcelona and Argentina forward Lionel Messi crowned the 2009 Ballon d'Or winner . He won 473 votes -- 240 more than second-placed Cristiano Ronaldo , who won last year . The other three finalists were Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, Barcelona's Xavi, and Argentina's Carlos Tevez. It is organized by France Football magazine to recognize the best player in Europe .