Beckham backs Messi to win 2026 Ballon d’Or
By Joel Masibo, September 27, 2026England legend David Beckham has thrown his support behind Lionel Messi in the 2026 Ballon d’Or race, saying the Argentina captain should win the prestigious individual award despite competition from England stars Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice.
Messi, 39, is among the 30 nominees for this year’s men’s Ballon d’Or after another outstanding period with Inter Miami and Argentina. The winner will be announced in London on October 26, 2026. Beckham backs Messi for historic ninth Ballon d’Or.
Messi at the World Cup
The former England captain, who is now a co-owner of Inter Miami, made his comments after Messi reached 100 goals for the MLS club in their 2-0 victory over Cruz Azul in the Campeones Cup. Messi scored the opener before playing a role in the second goal.Beckham believes Messi’s performances at the 2026 FIFA World Cup further strengthen his case for another Ballon d’Or.
“I think when you see him do things like this tonight, when you see him have the World Cup that he’s had, it’s not luck that he’s being considered for the Ballon d’Or again,” he said on Saturday, September 26, 2026.
“It’s not luck because he was probably the best player in the tournament. He had an incredible year last year.
“He came into that tournament in the World Cup, and like you’ve just said, 39 years old, to affect a World Cup and every game the way he did. That’s special. There’s no one at 39 that’s doing that and doing it at that level.
“So he deserves to be considered for the Ballon d’Or. He, in my opinion, he should win it,” he said.
Messi played all eight of Argentina’s matches at the World Cup as they reached the final, scoring eight goals and providing four assists. He also became the first player to score in six successive knockout-stage matches.
Argentina eventually lost the final to Spain, while Spain midfielder Rodri collected the tournament’s Golden Ball.
Other contenders
France forward Kylian Mbappé finished as the World Cup’s leading scorer with 10 goals, two ahead of Messi. Bellingham and Kane scored seven and six goals, respectively.
Despite those numbers, Beckham maintains that Messi’s overall influence makes him his choice for the award.
“You’ve got great players there like Harry Kane, like Kylian [Mbappe], like Jude Bellingham and other players there, but you know when you’re talking about Leo, I’m his biggest supporter.”
The 2026 shortlist includes three England players in Kane, Bellingham and Rice. Kane enjoyed a prolific campaign with Bayern Munich and England, while Bellingham scored seven times at the World Cup. Rice helped Arsenal win the Premier League and was also a key member of England’s World Cup squad.Messi enters the contest as the record eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, having previously claimed the award in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023.
Ninth title
A victory this year would take him to an unprecedented ninth title.His case is also backed by his club achievements. Messi won the 2025 MLS Cup with Inter Miami and claimed the MLS Golden Boot after scoring 29 goals, while also recording 19 assists. He was subsequently named MLS MVP for a second consecutive season.
The Argentine has continued producing for Inter Miami in 2026, recently becoming the club’s first player to reach 100 goals across all competitions. He achieved the landmark in 115 appearances.The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place in London on October 26, 2026, with Messi, Kane, Bellingham, Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Lamine Yamal, Ousmane Dembélé and other leading names among the 30 nominees.