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.
Messi marked the milestone on Wednesday by scoring in Inter Miami’s 2-0 victory over Cruz Azul in the Campeones Cup.
He later provided the corner from which Casemiro scored the second goal, helping Miami secure their first Campeones Cup title.
The achievement made Messi the first player to score 100 goals for Inter Miami since joining the club in 2023.
Speaking after the match, Beckham said Messi’s performances at the 2026 World Cup and his continued excellence at 39 made him deserving of the award.
“He deserves to be considered for the Ballon d’Or. In my opinion, he should win it,” Beckham said.
The former England captain also highlighted Messi’s ability to continue performing at the highest level despite his age.
Messi is among the 30 players nominated for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, alongside the likes of Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland and defending champion Ousmane Dembélé.
The Argentine is a record eight-time winner of the award and was also part of the Argentina side that reached the 2026 World Cup final.
Argentina lost the final 1-0 to Spain after Ferran Torres scored in extra time.
Messi’s World Cup campaign has therefore become part of the conversation around his latest Ballon d’Or nomination, with the tournament falling within the award period.
His latest Inter Miami milestone came against Cruz Azul, when he headed the opening goal in the 24th minute.
Casemiro later headed home Messi’s corner to complete the 2-0 victory and secure another trophy for the MLS club.
The result was Inter Miami’s fourth trophy since Messi joined the club, according to Reuters.
At 39, Messi continues to add to his club record in the United States while remaining part of the conversation surrounding the sport’s biggest individual award.
The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony will be held on October 26 at the London Palladium Theatre.
The ceremony will take place in London for the first time and will mark the 70th anniversary of the Ballon d’Or.
While Beckham has publicly backed Messi, the award will be decided through the official voting process involving the nominated players and other contenders.
For the Inter Miami co-owner, however, Messi’s latest achievement has reinforced his belief that the Argentine should claim the prize for a ninth time.
