Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has named Lionel Messi as his choice to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or without a doubt. The 39-year-old was nominated for the award for a 17th time this year after starring for club and country.
Simeone spoke to the media ahead of their LaLiga meeting with Osasuna at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Wednesday, September 16. When asked to reveal his choice for the Ballon d’Or, he was clear with his answer, pointing to Lionel Messi’s FIFA World Cup performance as a factor.
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“Who should win the Ballon d’Or? Messi, without any doubt. After the World Cup he had and at his age? Messi, without a doubt. Messi!,” he emphasized.
Lionel Messi stunned the world in North America this summer, as he rolled back the years effortlessly for Argentina. He played in all eight of their games at the Mundial despite being 39 years old, and was a strong candidate to win the Golden Ball as La Albiceleste reached the final for a second successive edition.
Messi ended the tournament with eight goals and four assists, finishing behind Kylian Mbappe in the race for the Golden Boot. He set several records, including becoming the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the competition and the player with the most consecutive World Cup games scored in.
In the MLS, he captained Inter Miami to a first-ever MLS Cup title, while also winning the Golden Boot and MVP awards for the 2025 season. He has become the first player to have 20 years between Ballon d’Or nominations, having received his first nomination as a 19-year-old back in 2006.
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Lionel Messi is one of only three nominees for this year’s award to have won it in the past. The other two are Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star and current holder Ousmane Dembele and Barcelona midfielder Rodri, who won it in 2024.
Other notable nominees are Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane, and Lamine Yamal, all of whom have credible arguments to emerge as the winner of this year’s edition. Mbappe made history at the FIFA World Cup, beating Messi to the Golden Boot and eclipsing the Argentine’s record tally in the competition. He also won the Golden Boots in LaLiga and the UEFA Champions League.
Kane led Bayern Munich to Bundesliga glory and won the European Golden Shoe, while also scoring six goals as England finished in third place at the World Cup. Yamal, on the other hand, helped Barcelona to win LaLiga and Spain to win the World Cup. The 2026 Ballon d’Or winner will be announced at a gala in London on October 26.
Edited by Sulayman Salahudeen