David Beckham says Lionel Messi deserves to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or after reaching 100 goals for Inter Miami and starring for Argentina at the World Cup.

David Beckham has backed Lionel Messi to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, saying the Argentine deserves the individual honour after reaching 100 goals for Inter Miami.

Messi reached the milestone on Wednesday as Inter Miami defeated Cruz Azul 2–0 to win their first-ever Campeones Cup title.

The Argentine opened the scoring with a rare header in the 24th minute before delivering the corner kick that Casemiro converted to seal the victory.

Speaking after the match, Inter Miami co-owner Beckham praised Messi for maintaining an exceptional level at the age of 39, while pointing to his performances at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as further evidence of his Ballon d’Or credentials.

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“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 is among the 30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, having previously won the prestigious award a record eight times.

At the World Cup, Messi scored eight goals and provided four assists as Argentina reached the final, where they lost to Spain. His latest performances have added to a remarkable late-career run that has seen him continue to break records and reach major milestones.

The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony is scheduled to take place in London on October 26.

Beckham said Messi deserves to be considered alongside the other nominees, including Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham, as the Argentine continues to produce at the highest level.