The Inter Miami star is looking to win his ninth award
We’ve heard that phrase no less than eight times. Messi redefined the meaning of the Ballon d’Or and became synonymous with football’s biggest individual award. Many thought his departure from Europe in 2023 would end his association with the prize, but clearly that wasn’t the case.
Three years had passed since Messi last lifted the trophy, and in 2026 he was back in the running thanks to a glorious year that reminded even his biggest critics why he is considered by many to be the best footballer of all time.
There are many figures competing for this year’s award, perhaps one of the most evenly matched in recent times, and Messi has plenty of arguments to go for his ninth Ballon d’Or.
His resurgence at the World Cup
Performing well in football’s most important competition is a fundamental part of the criteria for choosing the Ballon d’Or, and Messi’s achievement in that regard is undeniable.
Those who had stopped following him so closely since his arrival in MLS were quickly reminded that the Argentine can still do extraordinary things at a World Cup . He scored eight goals and provided four assists, contributing to at least one goal in every match except the final. An incredible performance.
Argentina ‘s defeat in the final meant Messi finished the tournament without lifting the World Cup for the second consecutive time, and also without winning the Golden Ball award. Had his team won, the trophy Rodri received would likely be in Messi’s trophy case now.
He outperformed his rivals in the World Cup
It is difficult to ignore how much better his performance was during the World Cup compared to the vast majority of footballers competing for the Ballon d’Or.
Harry Kane scored six goals for England but failed to find the net in either the quarter-finals or semi-finals. Lamine Yamal scored just once for Spain . Kylian Mbappé is the only player who can rival Messi in this regard, but two of his goals came in the third-place match, a game that had no bearing on the title race.
Messi led by example at a time when football was the main focus of attention. That cannot go unnoticed.
A relevance that defies time
Everything Messi did with the Argentine national team during the summer made it hard to forget that he’s in the final stage of his career. However, anyone who simply enjoyed what he did on the pitch could easily have forgotten that he just turned 39.
At that age, most footballers have already retired, and those who continue playing have usually declined in quality and accepted that they can no longer keep up with the young players who dominate modern football. Messi is different.
No one was as good at 39 as Messi is today. He dominated the World Cup at a stage in his career when, by any standard logic, he could have been watching the tournament from home. His Ballon d’Or wins have always been linked to performances that make us question logic and reality, and he continues to do so today.
His impact on MLS
We could talk for hours about Messi’s brilliance on the pitch. The reality is that the Ballon d’Or isn’t decided solely by what happens during matches. Voters are also asked to consider each candidate’s influence on the sport.
As far as MLS is concerned, no player has had a comparable influence to Messi. Without diminishing the merits of the rest of the league, the Argentine brought unprecedented attention to soccer in the United States and helped elevate the sport nationwide.
It’s even possible to go a step further. Has any footballer ever done as much for a league as Messi has for MLS? Football seems to reach a higher level every year thanks to the Inter Miami striker.
The support of the football world
The award is chosen by journalists, but if the decision were left to a jury made up of his colleagues, Messi would seem to be on track to win the Ballon d’Or.
“The Ballon d’Or should go to Leo. Until he retires, that’s settled,” said Cristian Romero, the Argentine national team’s center-back. “Leaving aside what he is as a player and everything he’s achieved throughout his career, he’s still the best in the world. I shared a locker room with him, and he has a humility that very few possess. All of that sets him apart,” he added.
Another member of the Argentine national team, Alexis Mac Allister, also backed the captain. “He had an incredible World Cup and I don’t see why he shouldn’t get the award,” said the Liverpool midfielder .
David Beckham, co-owner of Inter Miami, echoed this sentiment. “When you see him do things like this, when you see the World Cup he had, there’s no one else at 39 years old doing something like that at that level anymore. He deserves to be considered. In my opinion, he should win it,” he stated.
Finally, Diego Simeone, manager of Atlético de Madrid , who closely followed Mbappé and Yamal in La Liga this year, also had no doubts when choosing his candidate. “Messi, without a doubt. After the World Cup he had, at his age, without a doubt. Messi,” he declared.
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