Former England captain and ”Inter Miami” co-owner David Beckham stated that 39-year-old Argentine Lionel Messi deserves to win the Ballon d'Or this year.

The eight-time winner of this award has made the 30-man shortlist for the 2026 prize. On Wednesday, Messi scored his 100th goal for “Inter Miami” and provided an assist to Casemiro, who netted the second goal in a 2–0 victory over “Cruz Azul”. This win secured the Champions Cup for the club—an annual tournament contested by the cup winners from the US and Mexico.

"When you see him doing things like that, when you see the World Cup he had—there is no one else playing at that level at age 39," Beckham said. "He deserves to be considered for the Ballon d'Or. In my opinion, he should win it."

At the 2026 World Cup, Messi scored eight goals and provided four assists, helping the Argentina national team reach the final, where the team lost to Spain. Thus, he brought his assist tally at World Cups to 12—with 10 of those coming in knockout matches—a record unmatched by any other player in history. In terms of goals scored at World Cups, Messi ranks second (21 goals), trailing only the Frenchman Kylian Mbappé (22 goals).

Ballon d'Or Contenders

“Bayern” Munich striker Harry Kane is one of three English footballers on the list of contenders for the 2026 award. Joining him on the shortlist are “Real’s” Jude Bellingham and “Arsenal's” Declan Rice. Kane is considered the favorite for the award.

Among the 30 nominees are six players from the Spanish national team—the world champions—including Lamine Yamal. PSG forward Ferran Torres, who scored the winning goal in the final and joined the Parisian club from “Barcelona” over the summer, also made the list. In addition to Torres, PSG—winners of the Champions League for two consecutive seasons—is represented by nine other players, including last year's trophy winner Ousmane Dembélé.

The shortlist also includes Real Madrid forwards Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior, as well as Arsenal defenders Gabriel and William Saliba.

This year marks the award's 70th anniversary; the prize was established by “France Football” magazine in 1956. The presentation ceremony will take place in London on October 26.

Messi sets club record

On September 16, at Nu Stadium, Messi opened the scoring in the 24th minute by heading in a pass from Luis Suárez. He could have scored a second goal after breaking through one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but the effort was disallowed for offside.

Nevertheless, it was following a corner kick from Messi that former Real Madrid and Manchester United midfielder Casemiro scored the second goal in the 81st minute, securing the first-ever Champions Cup title for Inter Miami.

This match took place after Messi announced his retirement from the national team in August, and also after he spoke about contemplating his footballing future following the death of his father, Jorge.

"You have to appreciate this, because there’s no telling how much longer it will last," said Casemiro. "What he has done and continues to do for football is incredible. He is still the best. He proved it at the World Cup and continues to prove it in MLS."