An official post by Ballon d'Or website hints of a ninth award for Leo Messi
A conveniently timed post by the website reminds that players don't need to play in Europe to win the Ballon d'Or.
With Argentina reaching the 2026 World Cup final, facing Spain on Sunday, the possibility of Lionel Messi winning another Ballon d'Or, something that sounded almost impossible a few months ago, is now gaining strength.
An unusual post on X by the official Ballon d'Or account on Thursday, after the two finalists had been decided, conveniently reminded that footballers who don't play in European leagues can also win the Ballon d'Or, something that is common knowledge at this point.
The timing of the post, despite having Cristiano Ronaldo in the headline picture, has been read by many as a hint that, if Argentina wins World Cup, Lionel Messi will be once again favourite to win the award, just as he did three years ago after winning World Cup 2022.
The article on the Ballon d'Or website clarifies that there are not geographic restrictions for winners of the Ballon d'Or, something that isn't new: it has been this way since 2007, and since then, only two players, men and women, have managed to do so: Messi in 2023 (playing for Inter Miami and PSG) and Megan Rapinoe in 2019 (playing for Seattle Reign).
The only restriction is that judges value what a player does from August one year to July the following year, so in the case of Messi, the MLS plays seasons during calendar year (a tradition that will be changed in two years, so that the MLS better aligns with the European transfer markets). Between August 2025 and July 2026, Messi won the MLS title with Inter Miami, so if he adds the World Cup, he would also have enough titles to support a ninth Ballon d'Or.
In a year without a clear favourite from the European leagues (the names of Ousmane Dembélé again, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Michael Olisé, or Kylian Mbappé have been thrown around in the weeks of World Cup, before setting on Lamine Yamal as favourite if Spain wins World Cup), if Argentina wins World Cup, Messi's ninth Ballon d'Or may be inevitable.
Do you think Leo Messi will win another Ballon d'Or? Who do you think deserved the award this year?
