Beckham Backs Messi for Ballon d'Or

English football legend David Beckham, co-owner of American club Inter Miami and former England captain, believes Argentine star Lionel Messi deserves to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or award. This endorsement recognizes Messi's continued brilliance with both his club and national team, despite reaching 39 years of age. The BBC reported Beckham's statement following Messi's leadership of Inter Miami to the Campeones Cup title, secured by a 2-0 victory over Mexico's Cruz Azul. Beckham remarked: "When you see him do things like this, and when you see the World Cup he had, no player at 39 years old is doing that and performing at this level. He deserves to be among the nominees for the Ballon d'Or, and in my opinion, he should win it." Detailing Messi's performance, he scored Inter Miami's first goal in the 24th minute with a header from a Luis Suarez assist, then set up the second goal, also a header, scored by Brazilian Casemiro in the 81st minute. Messi led his team to their first Campeones Cup title, with this goal marking his 100th in the club's jersey. Internationally, Messi delivered an outstanding performance for Argentina in the 2026 World Cup, scoring eight goals and assisting four during the team's run to the final, which they lost to Spain. Messi's World Cup assist tally rose to 12, including 10 in the knockout stages, setting a new record. He also ranks second in the competition's all-time top scorers with 21 goals, behind France's Kylian Mbappé (22 goals). The 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist is topped by England striker Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), alongside compatriots Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) and Declan Rice (Arsenal). It also includes six players from the World Cup-winning Spanish national team, notably Paris Saint-Germain forward Ferran Torres, who scored the final's winning goal. Additionally, nine players from Paris Saint-Germain are featured, including Ousmane Dembélé (last year's winner), plus Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior from Real Madrid. The Ballon d'Or winner will be announced in London, the British capital, on October 26, coinciding with the award's 70th anniversary since its establishment in 1956.