Messi deserves to be considered for Ballon d’Or – Beckham
Inter Miami's Argentine forward #10 Lionel Messi (L) poses with the trophy next to the team's owner David Beckham (R) after winning the Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup final between Inter Miami and the Vancouver Whitecaps at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on December 6, 2025. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP)
Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham has backed Lionel Messi to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, less than 24 hours after the Argentine reached 100 goals for the Major League Soccer club. Messi marked the milestone on Wednesday by scoring in Inter Miami’s 2-0 victory over Cruz Azul in the Campeones Cup before providing the corner from which Casemiro headed the second goal. The victory gave Miami their first Campeones Cup title, while Messi became the first player to score 100 goals for the club. Speaking after the match, Beckham said Messi’s performances at the 2026 World Cup and his ability to maintain a high level at 39 made him deserving of the individual award. “When you see him do things like this, when you see him have the World Cup that he’s had, there is no one at 39 that’s doing that, and doing it at that level. “He deserves to be considered for the Ballon d’Or. In my opinion, he should win it,” BBC quoted him as saying. Messi is among the 30 players nominated for this year’s Ballon d’Or, having previously won the award eight times. Messi heads Inter Miami to Campeones Cup triumph FULL LIST: From Messi to Fofana: Footballers who announced international retirement Messi returns to Argentina squad for final farewell against Benin The Argentine had a notable World Cup with eight goals and four assists as Argentina reached the final, where they lost to Spain. He also took his World Cup assist tally to 12 during the tournament, with 10 coming in knockout-stage matches. Messi is second on the all-time World Cup goalscorers’ list with 21 goals, behind France forward Kylian Mbappe’s 22. The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony is scheduled to take place in London on October 26. Beckham, who played for England and is a co-owner of Inter Miami, also highlighted the significance of having Messi continue to perform at the highest level at 39. The former England captain said Messi deserved consideration alongside other nominees, including Harry Kane, Mbappe and Jude Bellingham. Messi’s latest milestone came after he scored a rare header against Cruz Azul in the 24th minute to put Miami ahead. Okiki Adeduyite Okiki is a journalist with over seven years experience covering politics, foreign news, society, entertainment and the film industry.
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