Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham has said Lionel Messi deserves to be considered for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, following the Argentine’s latest milestone for the Major League Soccer club.
Messi reached 100 goals for Inter Miami on Wednesday, scoring in the club’s 2-0 victory over Cruz Azul in the Campeones Cup. He also provided the corner that led to Casemiro’s second-half header.
The victory secured Inter Miami’s first Campeones Cup title, while Messi became the first player to reach 100 goals for the club.
Speaking after the match, Beckham praised Messi’s continued performances at the age of 39, as well as his contribution to the 2026 World Cup.
The former England captain said Messi’s level of performance at his age was unusual and argued that he deserved serious consideration for the individual award.
Beckham was quoted by the BBC as saying Messi should win the Ballon d’Or.
Messi is among the 30 nominees for this year’s award and has previously won the Ballon d’Or eight times.
At the 2026 World Cup, Messi scored eight goals and provided four assists as Argentina reached the final, where they were defeated by Spain.
His performances also took his World Cup assist tally to 12, including 10 assists in knockout-stage matches.
Messi currently ranks second on the all-time World Cup goalscorers’ list with 21 goals, behind France forward Kylian Mbappe, who has 22.
The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony is scheduled to hold in London on October 26.
Beckham also pointed to Messi’s ability to continue performing at the highest level at 39, saying he deserved consideration alongside other nominees such as Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham.
Messi’s 100th Inter Miami goal came in the 24th minute against Cruz Azul, when he scored a header to give his team the lead.
Source: PUNCH
