RismadarVoice Reporters
September 17, 2026
Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham has backed Lionel Messi for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, saying the Argentine’s performances at the World Cup and his continued excellence at the age of 39 merit serious consideration for the award.
Beckham made the remarks after Messi helped Inter Miami defeat Cruz Azul 2-0 in the Campeones Cup on Wednesday.
The victory secured Miami’s first Campeones Cup title, while Messi reached another milestone by scoring his 100th goal for the Major League Soccer club.
Messi opened the scoring in the 24th minute with a header before contributing to the second goal by delivering the corner that Casemiro converted.
Speaking after the match, Beckham praised Messi’s ability to continue performing at the highest level despite his age.
“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,” Beckham said, according to the BBC.
“He deserves to be considered for the Ballon d’Or. In my opinion, he should win it.”
Messi is among the 30 players shortlisted for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, an award he has won a record eight times.
The Argentina captain had a productive campaign at the 2026 World Cup, scoring eight goals and providing four assists as his team reached the final.
Argentina eventually lost the final to Spain.
During the tournament, Messi also increased his World Cup assist tally to 12, with 10 of those assists coming during knockout-stage matches.
He currently has 21 World Cup goals, placing him second on the tournament’s all-time scoring chart, behind France forward Kylian Mbappé, who has 22.
The 2026 Ballon d’Or award ceremony is scheduled to be held in London on October 26.
Beckham said Messi’s performances put him in contention alongside other leading nominees, including Mbappé, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham.
Messi’s latest club achievement further strengthened his record with Inter Miami, where he became the first player to reach 100 goals.
The milestone came in his 24th-minute header against Cruz Azul, as Miami went on to claim the Campeones Cup for the first time.
