Inter Miami midfielder Rodrigo De Paul has publicly backed Lionel Messi to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, asserting that the Argentine icon’s recent contributions are unparalleled. Messi, 39, is among the 30 nominees for the prestigious honor, with the winner set to be revealed on October 26 in London.
De Paul’s endorsement follows Inter Miami’s recent 2-0 Campeones Cup victory over Cruz Azul. Highlighting his teammate’s enduring excellence, De Paul cited Messi’s performance at the recent FIFA World Cup as evidence of his greatness. During that tournament, Messi tallied eight goals and four assists in eight matches, playing a pivotal role as Argentina finished as runners-up to Spain. De Paul emphasized that at 39 years old, no other player could replicate the level of impact Messi achieved on such a grand stage.
Messi’s case for a ninth career Ballon d’Or was further bolstered by his performance in the Campeones Cup. Under the leadership of new manager Kily Gonzalez, Messi broke the deadlock in the 24th minute by heading in a delivery from Luis Suarez. This goal marked his 100th for Inter Miami in just 115 appearances, making him the fastest player to reach this milestone for a Major League Soccer club. He also assisted the second goal in the 81st minute, setting up a header for Casemiro.
Since joining Inter Miami in the summer of 2023, the forward has secured five trophies, a significant addition to his career haul. Figures including David Beckham and Diego Simeone have already expressed their support for Messi to claim the award again. As the ceremony approaches, the Argentine remains widely regarded as one of the primary contenders to be honored as the world’s best player. The report also notes that no one will do anything like that ever again” – Inter Miami star explains why Lionel Messi deserves to win 2026 Ballon d’Or. The report also notes that and the winner will be announced on October 26, the 39-year-old was nominated alongside 29 others for the 2026 edition of the award. The report also notes that pointing out that no one can repeat what he did in the tournament at 39, he named his countryman as the best player of the World Cup. The report also notes that their first with Kily Gonzalez in the dugout, by a 2-0 scoreline in front of their fans, the Herons won the game.
