‘In my opinion…’ – David Beckham’s blunt take on Lionel Messi winning the 2026 Ballon d’Or
· Yahoo Sports
Lionel Messi’s heroics in Inter Miami’s 2-0 win in the 2026 Campeones Cup final against Cruz Azul left legend David Beckham in awe.
Beckham is one of the primary shareholders in MLS club Inter Miami and was the one who convinced Lionel Messi to leave Europe and come over to the USA for potentially the final chapter of his career.
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Beckham has not taken a single day of Messi’s presence in the MLS for granted and shared his take on Messi’s chances for the 2026 Ballon d’Or award.
David Beckham’s ringing endorsement for Lionel Messi to win the Ballon d’Or
Beckham gave an on-pitch post-game interview after Miami’s win, reiterating how he refuses to take Messi’s brilliance for granted and how the 39-year-old should win the Ballon d’Or.
“When you see him do things like tonight, and you see him have the World Cup he’s had, it’s not luck that he’s being considered for the Ballon d’Or again. It’s not luck. He was probably the best player in the tournament; he had an incredible year last year…”
“39 years old, to affect the World Cup in every game the way he did, that’s special. There’s no one at 39 who is doing this at that level. He deserves to be considered for the Ballon d’Or. In my opinion, he should win it.
Messi scored his 100th competitive goal for Miami since joining the team in 2022 in this win over Cruz Azul, an improbable header by the 5’6″ attacker.
He also provided the assist for Casemiro’s goal in the win as Messi won his fifth title with the Miami-based MLS club since joining the team.
Can Lionel Messi actually win the 2026 Ballon d’Or?
If there’s any player who could win the trophy outside of Europe in the modern era, it’s Lionel Messi.
Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP via Getty ImagesHe won the 2022 Ballon d’Or after joining Miami, so it officially counted as a trophy he won with them, but it was on the back of a European season where he played for Paris Saint-Germain in France.
The 2026 race is considered wide-open, with multiple candidates in the running. Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, Jude Bellingham, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele, and more are vying for it.
Messi’s individual brilliance could lead to him earning a spot in the top three. He likely would have won the award if Argentinahad won the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, and that loss will hold him back from winning, especially with a club season playing in the MLS.
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