Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham has backed Lionel Messi to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, praising the Argentine’s remarkable performances at 39.
Messi reached 100 goals for Inter Miami on Wednesday during their 2–0 victory over Cruz Azul in the Campeones Cup.
The Argentine opened the scoring in the 24th minute with a header before providing the corner that led to Casemiro’s second-half goal.
The victory also secured Inter Miami’s first-ever Campeones Cup title.
Messi became the first player in the club’s history to reach 100 goals.
Speaking after the match, Beckham said Messi deserves to be considered for the prestigious individual award.
“He deserves to be considered for the Ballon d’Or. In my opinion, he should win it,” Beckham said, according to the BBC.
The former England captain also highlighted Messi’s performances at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Messi scored eight goals and provided four assists as Argentina reached the final, where they eventually lost to Spain.
He finished the tournament with 12 World Cup assists, including 10 during knockout-stage matches.
Messi is also second on the all-time World Cup goalscorers’ list with 21 goals, one behind France star Kylian Mbappé.
Beckham said Messi’s ability to maintain such a high level at 39 made his achievements particularly remarkable.
Messi is among the 30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, an award he has won a record eight times.
Other prominent nominees include Mbappé, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham.
The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony is scheduled to take place in London on October 26.
With his historic Inter Miami milestone, World Cup performances and latest nomination, Messi remains one of the major names in contention for the award
