Lionel Messi, the forward of the US "Inter Miami" club and the Argentina national team, could be a candidate for the "Ballon d'Or" award in 2026.
Medianews.az reports that the award's press service released information about this. It was noted that technically, any player can win this award regardless of which league they play in.
The Argentine footballer topped the "Ballon d'Or" favorites ranking prepared by "The Athletic" portal after the group stage of the 2026 World Cup ended. Messi led the list of the most productive footballers in the tournament with 6 goals and broke the World Cup top scorer record.
The organizers recalled that in 2019, Megan Rapinoe, who played for the US "Seattle" club, won the "Ballon d'Or" award for women's football. In the same year when the US women's national team became world champions, Megan Rapinoe was selected as the best player and top scorer of the tournament.