David Beckham believes Lionel Messi deserves to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or after another landmark night for Inter Miami.
Messi scored his 100th goal for the club on Thursday as Miami beat Cruz Azul 2-0 to win the Campeones Cup.
Inter Miami co-owner Beckham backed the 39-year-old Argentine to win the award for a record ninth time.
“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.
“He deserves to be considered for the Ballon d’Or. In my opinion, he should win it.”
Messi scored eight goals and provided four assists as Argentina reached the 2026 World Cup final, where they lost to Spain.
He has been named among the 30 nominees for this year’s Ballon d’Or. Messi has already won the award eight times, more than any other player.
The winner will be announced at a ceremony in London on October 26.
