Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham has backed Lionel Messi to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or after the Argentine reached 100 goals for the Major League Soccer club on Wednesday.
Messi achieved the milestone in Inter Miami’s 2-0 victory over Cruz Azul in the Campeones Cup, scoring in the 24th minute before providing the corner for Casemiro to head home the second goal.
The victory secured Miami’s first Campeones Cup title and made Messi the first player to score 100 goals for the club.
Beckham, speaking after the match, said Messi’s performances at the 2026 World Cup and his ability to maintain an exceptional level at the age of 39 made him deserving of the individual prize.
“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.
“He deserves to be considered for the Ballon d’Or. In my opinion, he should win it,” BBC quoted Beckham as saying.
Messi is among the 30 players nominated for this year’s Ballon d’Or, having previously won the prestigious award eight times.
The Argentine enjoyed a remarkable World Cup campaign, scoring eight goals and providing four assists as Argentina reached the final, where they lost to Spain.
He also took his World Cup assist tally to 12 during the tournament, with 10 of those assists coming in knockout-stage matches.
Messi is 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 will be held in London on October 26.
Beckham, a former England captain and Inter Miami co-owner, also stressed the significance of Messi continuing to perform at the highest level at 39.
The former England international said Messi deserved consideration alongside fellow nominees including Harry Kane, Mbappe and Jude Bellingham.
Messi’s latest milestone came with a rare header against Cruz Azul in the 24th minute, giving Miami the lead before Casemiro’s second-half strike sealed the historic victory.
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