Can Messi win a ninth Ballon d’Or?

The speculation began after the 30-player shortlist for the Ballon d’Or, the most prestigious individual award in world football, was announced.

Can the Argentine magician who has won the golden trophy a record eight times claim a ninth Ballon d’Or as he approaches the twilight of his career? Or is this simply an attempt to honor a living legend? These questions have sparked intense debate across the football world.

Lionel Messi has made the shortlist published by French magazine France Football after two years. He recently bid farewell to international football. The question is whether he was truly the best player in the world over the past year based on performance. Of course, many may find it inappropriate to raise such a question about the 39-year-old superstar. That is because there is no doubt about his status as one of the greatest players of all time.

A jury board comprising 100 leading sports journalists from the 100 highest ranked countries in the FIFA men’s rankings votes for the award. In addition, a player’s individual performance, decision making on the field, unique skills and ability to shape the outcome of matches are considered. Along with performance, team success achieved while representing their club and national team, winning trophies or making significant contributions at major tournaments, as well as a player’s sportsmanship, discipline and personality on and off the field are also considered for the award.

Based on performances from August 2023 to July of this year, the period considered for the award, what 39-year-old Messi has achieved is simply incredible. He was particularly in his familiar rhythm at the recently concluded World Cup on North American soil. Although Argentina finished as runners up, Messi scored eight goals in the tournament. The football magician also provided four assists and created a record 25 scoring opportunities.

His form in club football was just as sharp as before. For Inter Miami, he scored 17 goals and provided 19 assists in the club’s final 16 league matches. He also scored 12 goals and provided eight assists in his first 14 matches of 2026. He won the MLS Most Valuable Player award. Overall, Messi once again proved his ability by contributing 78 goals for club and country during this period, with 44 goals and 34 assists in 46 matches.

However, how effective Messi’s achievements will be compared with the incredible success of Bayern Munich’s English striker Harry Kane remains a matter of debate. Kane scored 73 goals in all competitions during the 2025 to 2026 season. He led Bayern to a domestic treble that included the Bundesliga, DFB Pokal and DFL Supercup. Kane is also ranked first in the betting race. Therefore, playing outside European football in the US league and being somewhat behind Kane in terms of goals could be major obstacles to Messi’s bid for the award. In addition, Rodri’s World Cup triumph and Kylian Mbappe’s remarkable consistency have made Messi’s challenge considerably more difficult.